Butterflies and Hurricanes
by Lilac Moon
Summary: Sequel to Endangered Legacy & Secrets. During the events of Once A Ranger, a threat from the past joins Thrax in his conquest forcing Sentinel Knight to restore more powers to past rangers. Can the chosen teams vanquish the threats and restore power to the Morphing Grid for Operation Overdrive? Focuses on NS/MMPR/Zeo/DT teams, but features others as well. Multiple pairings.
1. Looming Storm

Disclaimer: I don't own Power Rangers. Saban and Nickelodeon own them.

AN: During the events of Once a Ranger, an evil from the past rises to join Thrax, causing the Sentinel Knight to call upon more rangers from the past to join Adam, Tori, Kira, Xander, and Bridge. Can a team past rangers handle the additional threats and restore power to the morphing grid for Operation Overdrive?

Butterflies and Hurricanes

Sequel to Endangered Legacy and Secrets

A Once A Ranger AU

Pairings: Hunter/Tori, Adam/Tanya, Tommy/Kim, Billy/Kat, Rocky/Aisha, Jason/Trini Conner/Kira and more.

Once A Ranger

Part 1

"Looming Storm"

_**2004**_

_**Just after the defeat of Mesagog and the explosion of his island fortress. **_

Explosions rocked the island fortress of the humanoid dinosaur villain that the world knew as Mesagog, the latest threat to the Earth. Mesagog's lab trembled violently, as the Dino Thunder rangers successfully used their weapon to strike the base of their enemy, delivering a devastating blow. The glass cylinders containing monsters and various creatures that Mesagog had collected tumbled from their resting places on the shelves and shattered to pieces on the floor. In one final explosion, the island exploded, sinking into the ocean. Hours later, the Dino Thunder rangers sacrificed the power in their gems to neutralize Mesagog, finally destroying him for good. And just like that, all was well on Earth again and another chapter in the Ranger Legacy came to a close. But as it often happens, things are never what they seem.

* * *

><p><em><strong>The pacific ocean, near one of the Hawaiian islands<strong>_

It was a normal warm, sunny day in Hawaii and the waters were alive with the activity of surfers, swimmers, boaters and scuba divers. On one of the more remote beaches of a small island, a few native to the area went about their day as normal, surfing and enjoying their surroundings.

"Waves are perfect today," a very tanned young man called to his friends, as they relaxed on the beach.

"Hey, what is that over there?" the girl asked, as they saw something washing up on the beach in the near distance. Cautiously the two males and one female approached the figure and instantly had to cover their mouths and noses, as the stench of burnt human flesh singed their nostrils.

"Oh my God," the girl cried, as they took in the gruesome sight. The being was as badly burned as any of them had ever seen and gingerly, one of the men knelt down to feel the neck for a pulse.

"What are you doing? There's no way whatever or whoever this was could still be alive," the other male refuted. His eyes widened, as he felt a faint pulse.

"He…or whatever is alive," he announced.

"How could anyone survive being burned alive like this?" she wondered. He shook his head.

"I don't know, but he won't be alive much longer so call an ambulance," the surfer said, as his friend pulled out a cell phone and dialed 9-1-1…

* * *

><p><em><strong>Present Day, September 2007<strong>_

_**In the Woods Surrounding Blue Bay Harbor**_

_**The Wind Ninja Academy**_

The gardens of the secretive Wind Ninja Academy were lit with a beautiful, serene lightning that complimented the moonlight that shone down upon them. The students were still on summer break, but would return for fall lessons in just two weeks. They had planned that occasion for just this reason, since with the new fall term would bring the final joining of the two academies. But that was still causing enough upheaval that they decided that this event would be private so no unwanted interruptions occurred. Sensei Omino and some of his staff would remain at the old Thunder Academy most of the time and still conduct Academy business from there as a secondary facility. Hunter and Leann, crimson and navy, would pick up their posts as head Sensei's at the new Wind Thunder Ninja Academy in his behest. But for now, he was present to enjoy his daughter's joy, as she married the man she loved, the son of his long time ninja brother in arms. They ceremony had been simple and now the group of young people celebrated with each other well into the night while Sensei Omino and Sensei Watanabe looked on.

Cam and Leann danced slowly, their faces mere inches apart, glowing with happiness as they whispered to each other. Tori and Hunter, dressed in a beautiful baby blue gown and tux trimmed in crimson respectively, were in their own little world also, as they danced slowly as well. Even Blake had made it and he danced with Kapri. Their laughter filled the garden and it seemed that Blake was recovering fast from his break up with Allison. It had been a mutual split and Kapri was quite interested in the newly single motocross star. Dustin and Marah and Shane and Skyla made up the rest of their small group and it was the red wind ninja that brought their attention together by raising his wine glass.

"I know we're just about the most nontraditional bunch that there ever was, but I think it's time for Mr. Best Man to make his speech," Shane announced, eying Hunter, who rolled his eyes.

"Yeah...speech bro. We know you're so good at them," Blake joked. The crimson ninja gave him a playful glare in response, before he took his glass.

"Cam and Leann, you guys are going to be great together. You're both like my annoying older brother and sister that I always wanted," he joked, making them laugh and earning an eye roll from the green samurai.

"Cam, I know I speak for all of us when I say that we like seeing you smile more, the way you do when Leann is around. You're without a doubt the brains of this operation, but save the snarky comment for later," Hunter said, as Cam closed his mouth and forgot the comment they had all known was coming. Hunter chuckled.

"You're so predictable," he joked.

"Blake's right, your speeches are terrible," Cam retorted.

"Leann, you're a wonderful woman. Good luck with Captain Sarcastic Pants and his suitcase of snark," Hunter toasted.

"Suitcase of snark? Really?" Cam deadpanned, making them all chuckle. Hunter shrugged.

"It sounded better in my head," he replied.

"I'm sure," Cam retorted sarcastically.

"To Cam and Leann," they toasted, as the evening festivities continued.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Somewhere in Africa<em>**

The tribal elder coughed violently, as he held the wound in his belly.

"I will...never tell you...dark witch!" he hissed, as the beautiful woman sneered down at him.

"Then this village will burn to the ground and take everyone with it, you old fool. Then my team will sift through the ashes and find it anyway. Tell me now and spare you loved ones!" Tamara Shay hissed.

"You are not worthy to hold the earth prism!" he hissed back. She smirked and hauled him to his feet. He stumbled to his ceremonial alter and opened an ornate, golden chest from a secret compartment. The tent was momentarily bathed in a yellow glow, as the Earth prism shined with brilliance before his eyes. He turned sharply and held the prism, letting its golden power explode at the evil woman who held his village captive. She growled combated his attack with dark, purplish energy of her own. The elder gasped, as her pupils disappeared and her eyes became solid black. Her evil energy ate away at his attack. It was true that each prism was extremely powerful, but only in the hands of its chosen bearer and he was not that person. The golden light faded and he had no time to scream, as her attack hit him in the chest. She smirked and plucked the earth prism from his limp palm. Blood leaked from his open wounds and he glared up into evil.

"The ones...meant for the prisms will...stop you...demon..." he rasped. She reached down and wrapped her hand around his throat.

"No one can stop me, you old fool. Especially not a bunch of silly kids," she hissed, as she snapped his neck with a sharp twist. As she exited the tent, two masked ninjas waited, each bearing the dark ninja symbol.

"Wipe this village off the map," she ordered. Dozens more dark ninjas under her command swarmed in and the screams of innocents rang out momentarily, before they were forever silenced by the flames of their burning village...

* * *

><p><em>A Few Days Later...<em>

"Dad...what do you mean?" Mack asked in disbelief.

"I'm sorry, but this new threat, Thrax, has severed your connection to the universal morphing grid," Andrew stated.

"But you can fix it...right?" Dax asked.

"Yeah, you built the morphers, after all," Will added.

"I did, but my knowledge of the morphing grid itself is very limited. In fact, only a few people on Earth have a true grasp of how it works. I'm afraid without some kind of help, I don't know how to get past this," Andrew replied.

"So that's it...we're no longer rangers," Ronny said in disbelief.

"And the world is unprotected," Rose added.

"Not to mention that there is nothing to stop Flurious and Moltor from finding the remaining jewels," Tyzonn stated. Andrew nodded gravely. Unknown to them, the Sentinel Knight heard of their dilemma and quickly disappeared.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Blue Bay Harbor<strong>_

"Where are you taking me?" Tori asked anxiously. Hunter grinned from his spot in the driver's seat and watched her fidget so as not to remove the blindfold that he had ordered her to wear.

"Relax babe, we're almost there," he assured her.

"Why can't you just tell me?" she questioned. He smirked.

"Because this is more fun," he replied. She huffed in annoyance.

"Maybe for you," she grumbled, as she crossed her arms over her chest. He stopped the van and parked, before getting out and opening her door. He helped her out and guided her along the boardwalk. Tori could smell the ocean strongly and hear the waves crashing on the beach.

"We're at the beach," she stated.

"Yes we are," Jack announced, as he and Alana met the young couple in front of a small, freshly painted shop.

"Daddy?" Tori asked, as Hunter took her blindfold off.

"What are you doing here?" she asked, as she looked around.

"What's going on?" she asked, as Hunter stepped aside so she could see the kiosk sized shop. Her mouth dropped open, as she read the sign.

"Tori's Custom Boards?" she asked in disbelief.

"Surprise sweetheart!" Alana exclaimed.

"How..." Tori started to say, but her words faded. She was speechless.

"We've seen your sketches and you're very talented. We know you birthday is still a month away, but we couldn't wait to spring this on you," Jack stated.

"You should thank Hunter though. It was his idea," Alana added. She looked at him and smiled warmly, as she hugged him tightly.

"Thank you," she said, as she hugged her parents.

"This is amazing," she gushed, as Hunter wrapped his arms around her waist. She kissed him tenderly.

"That's not all," Alana said, as Jack presented a dark blue box wrapped with a bright blue bow.

"The shop was amazing enough...you shouldn't have gotten more," Tori lamented. Jack smiled.

"Just open it," he prodded. She did and gasped at the contents. It was an aqua blue crystal-like pendant in the shape of icicle. It was fairly large, about 4 inches long and unlike any piece of jewelry Tori had ever seen. She had seen similar prismatic type pendants like this, but there was something very unique about it.

"Where...did you get this?" Tori asked, as she took it out of the box. It looked like it cost a small fortune.

"Well, when we were with our team in Angel Grove a couple weeks ago working that last case, Jason finally convinced us to go scuba diving with him and Trini," Alana said.

"And I found it lodged in a piece of coral when we were at our deepest point. I was careful not to damage the coral, but when I saw it, something about just told me that it should be yours," Jack replied. Alana nodded.

"It instantly reminded us of you and we let Billy examine it to tell us what kind of gem it was, but he said it didn't really match any gemstones. It was more like a prism he said, though he said he had never seen one quite like it and in such a unique color," Alana explained. Jack nodded.

"So we bought a silver chain for it and had a jeweler put it on for us. He actually had no idea exactly what it was either and said it might not be worth anything if it was just a prism, but we know things like that don't matter to you," Jack stated. Tori nodded.

"I love it, thank you," Tori said, enamored by the pendant. And Hunter could instantly see why, as blue ribbons of power coursed over her body in response to her contact with it.

"Will you put it on me?" she asked. He nodded and fastened the clasp, watching the blue ribbons of power immediately draw to the pendant and disappear. Hunter shared a meaningful look with her and kissed her forehead.

"These aren't quite as shiny, but I think you'll like them too," Hunter said, as he handed her another box. She looked at him and cocked her head to the side.

"You guys are spoiling me," Tori chided, as she opened it up and found hundreds of business cards. She pulled one out and read it.

"Tori Hanson, Custom Surfboards," she read, noticing the card had the location of her kiosk and her e-mail.

"Kelly has some on the check out desk at Storm Chargers too and Cam said we he could even build you a website," Hunter said. She looked at him in awe.

"This...is amazing," she said, as she looked at the blank boards in her shop, just waiting for her to design. He wrapped his arms around her from behind and kissed her hair.

"This is just the beginning for us," he whispered in her ear. Her eyes met his and she smiled, before he leaned in and kissed her tenderly. A few screams suddenly started them and they saw a large black and golden shiny figure appear, causing people to scatter in fear even though the being had made no violent attempts toward them. But from their ranger days, Tori and Hunter weren't going to take any chances. They sunk into fighting stance and prepared to take on the possible threat. The figure stopped before them.

"Tori Hanson," he stated.

"Who are you?" Hunter demanded. The last time someone had approached them with knowledge of Tori, they had been kidnapped and nearly killed.

"Do not fear me. I fight on your side...the side of good. I am the Sentinel Knight," he stated. Tori relaxed slightly, but Hunter still remained defensive.

"A great crisis has occurred and the power rangers known as Operation Overdrive have lost their powers. The world is defenseless and I have called on five former rangers to step in. You, Tori Hanson, are the final ranger on my new team," he stated.

"But I don't have my powers anymore," Tori replied.

"It is risky, but I have spared my energy to restore the powers for three rangers and two that still have their powers. Thrax, the son of Rita Repulsa and Lord Zedd has attacked and joined with several other villains. The world is in great danger," the Knight stated.

"But why not Hunter too? He was a ranger and we could use him," she replied.

"For now, I'm only sparing the energy for three power sources. But if the situation becomes worse, then I will be forced to recruit more," he stated.

"Go...they need you," he prodded. She nodded and hugged him tightly.

"I'll call you tonight," she said. He smirked.

"You better," he replied, as he kissed her quickly. She hugged her parents goodbye and disappeared with the Sentinel Knight. Hunter sighed and Alana patted his arm.

"She'll be okay," she assured.

"I know...I better let Sensei know what's going on. I'll see you both later," he said, as he waved to them and then disappeared into a crimson ninja streak.

"I really wish I could move that fast," Jack commented. Alana chuckled and they joined hands, retreating to their car parked nearby.

* * *

><p><strong><em>Ninja Ops<em>**

"Man...that's awesome!" Shane said, as Hunter told them the news.

"Yeah, but how come I didn't get chosen. I'm so jealous," Dustin added.

"Well if the choice is between you and Tori, then Tori is going to be chosen," Cam drawled.

"Dude that's harsh and why are you even here?" the earth ninja asked.

"Yeah, why aren't you and Leann on your honeymoon?" Hunter asked curiously.

"With new students coming in soon and the merging of the Academies only days away, we decided to postpone until winter break. We're taking a trip then," Cam replied, as he tapped away at his computer as usual. A picture of the battle appeared. They assumed that the six young people currently getting their butts kicked all around Stone Henge were the team known as Operation Overdrive.

"Hey, you found it," Dustin said, as he plopped down next to him.

"Was there ever any doubt?" Cam asked. Leann sat next to him and gently pinched his arm.

"Okay Mr. Snarky, just turn up the volume," she chided. He smirked and did, as Hunter and Shane, with his arm around Skyla, stood behind them.

"Hey! You guys are blocking my view!" Marah complained.

"Where's your other half?" Hunter teased. Marah smirked at him.

"Your brother is racing in Reefside today. She's visiting him," Marah replied. Hunter rolled his eyes, before turning his attention to the screen. They watched, impressed when vines suddenly appeared out of no where, disrupting the battle and saving the unmorphed team.

"Whoa...how come we never got capes on our suits?" Dustin asked.

"Because capes are dorky," Hunter quipped.

"Dude...they'd be perfect for Dustin then," Shane teased.

"Shut up dude," Dustin quipped.

"Hey...who's that guy?" Shane asked, as a red ranger strode forward after blasting one of the Fear Cats.

"No idea...I've never seen that suit design before," Cam replied, finding it weird that it matched nothing in his ranger history database. Next they saw a yellow blur fly by, striking several minions, before coming to rest atop a pillar.

"Hey...it's Kira," Marah said fondly, as they saw a familiar blue blur make quick work of several more minions. Hunter crossed his arms over his chest in pride, as he watched the woman he loved fight. There was a huge explosion that unearthed the ground beneath Kamdor and one of the Fear Cats. A black ax, emblazoned with the symbol of the Mastodon rested in the dirt, as the black Mighty Morphin power ranger picked it up.

"It's Adam," Shane said.

"Good...that Sentinel Knight picked a veteran to lead at least," Hunter replied. Shane clapped him on the shoulder.

"Dude...she'll be fine," he assured him. Hunter nodded.

"I know," he replied. He believed Tori could handle absolutely anything, but he just had a feeling that this new threat might be bigger than this Sentinel Knight guy even knew and he couldn't shake it. He wondered if Jason or Billy would agree when they found out that the son of Rita Repulsa and Lord Zedd was attacking earth.

They saw the five not so new rangers demorph and greet the team that was now without powers.

"Hey...is that the necklace you told us about?" Shane asked, noticing the pendant around Tori's neck. Hunter nodded.

"Tori's parents found it scuba diving in Angel Cove. Billy said he's not even sure exactly what it is so it must be rare," Hunter replied, as the screen went dark.

"Looks like that's it for now. Thrax is probably pretty pissed off though, considering he hasn't gotten rid of the power rangers after all," Cam mentioned.

"Then you should all be ready to lend your powers if the situation becomes dire," Sensei advised. They agreed and left him alone. He too had seen the pendant around Tori's by chance and somehow knew it wasn't simply coincidence that the Hanson's had come across it, for he knew exactly what it was. If one of the storm prisms had surfaced, then he knew this was only the beginning. He picked up the phone and dialed a number

"_Hello," _Omino answered on the other end.

"We must tell them of the scroll's prophecy. We cannot delay any longer," Sensei Watanabe stated gravely...


	2. Dark Side

Disclaimer: I don't own Power Rangers. They belong to Saban Brands

AN: Here's part 2! Thanks to all who reviewed. Here's notes to those individuals:

fallingstar22: Thanks, glad you like it! Since Tori mentioned her "custom boards" in Once A Ranger, I decided to do a little back story on that. Glad you approve :)

MMPRFansince93 : Thanks, glad you like it. :)

Pinkrangerfan: Thanks. As for What Senseis Omnio and Watanabe, what they are discussing will be revealed in coming chapters.

Alex B. Goode : Thanks, glad you enjoyed it.

TommyOliverMMPRFan: Thanks, glad you like it.

MF 22: Thanks. The power of the prisms will slowly become more apparent as the story progresses. As for the ninjas against the merging, there will be a big development on that front in the chapter and even more to come later.

Green-Extreme-Ninjetti13: Thanks. However, this story will not feature Trent or Hayley much. They might make an appearance in this series, but they are minor characters.

Harry2: Thanks, glad you liked it.

Boris Yeltsin: Thanks, glad you enjoyed it.

Synopsis: During Once a Ranger, an evil from the past rises to join Thrax, causing the Sentinel Knight to call upon seven more rangers from the past to join Adam, Tori, Kira, Xander, and Bridge. Can a team of twelve past rangers handle the additional threats and restore power to the morphing grid for Operation Overdrive?

Pairings: Hunter/Tori, Adam/Tanya, Tommy/Kim, Billy/Kat, Conner/Kira and more.

Butterflies and Hurricanes

A Once a Ranger AU

Part 2

_"Dark Side"_

_**2007**_

_**San Angeles, California**_

The Retro rangers, as they were calling themselves, entered the Hartford mansion, having successfully driven Thrax and his minions back for the moment.

"You guys were great out there!" Mack called excitedly. Adam smiled and patted his shoulder.

"Thanks, it's great to be back in action," Adam replied.

"Yeah, though I have to admit I never thought I'd be back in the game," Tori mentioned.

"Oh that's right, you're getting married soon," Kira said, nudging her arm, as Tori smiled shyly.

"Married?" Ronny asked.

"Who's the lucky guy?" Dax questioned.

"Flattery will get you no where, Dax," Tori teased.

"But if you must know, his name is Hunter and he's the head Sensei of the Thunder Ninja Academy," she said proudly.

"I still can't believe you and Hunter are together since you used to have a thing for Blake," Kira teased. Tori rolled her eyes.

"And this is coming from the girl that swore she would never fall for an arrogant meat head jock, your words, and then ended up not only doing exactly that, but falling for none other than Conner McKnight, King of all Jocks," Tori teased back, turning the tables on her best friend.

"Okay…I get it. Life doesn't always go the way we think. But Conner has changed a lot," Kira pointed out. Tori smiled.

"Hunter hasn't really, I mean he's less broody now and a little more trusting, at least when it comes to our former teams, but I wouldn't change a thing. Believe me, I never thought I'd fall for him either, but Blake left, we drifted apart and both found other people," Tori replied with a shrug.

"As long as we're happy," Kira said, as she put her arm around Tori. The blue wind ranger smiled.

"Blissfully…I wouldn't change a thing," Tori replied.

"So does Hunter know the real reason you're here in San Angeles?" Will asked out of curiosity. Tori smirked and Adam chuckled.

"He should, since he was one too," Tori giggled.

"You guys really need a crash course in ranger history. Come on, we'll talk over dinner. I don't know about anyone else, but I'm starved," Adam said.

"I could eat," Xander agreed.

"I have access to a complete comprehensive database of ranger history. I can tell you everything," Bridge bragged. Adam chuckled again.

"Or they can hear from someone who was there," Adam replied.

"Yeah, let's talk about Thrax. I mean, son of Rita and Zedd? Who were they exactly?" Dax asked.

"Wow…you guys are really clueless on your heritage," Kira mentioned.

"Rita and Zedd were our big bads in my days as the black ranger, before the Zeo era. And believe me, the fact that they have a son creates all kinds of images I never wanted to think about," Adam said, shaking his head in disgust. The Overdrive rangers and even the others listened, as Adam began telling them about his days as a ranger.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Hawaii<strong>_

The life support machines hummed and blipped a steady beep, indicating a heartbeat of the patient in the bed. The seemingly male person's face was wrapped completely with gauze, with the exception of the eyes and mouth. The man had been in this small Hawaiian hospital for nearly three years now, having been found nearly burned to death and washed up on a nearby beach. The extensive burns should have killed him, but to the local physician's amazement, the man survived, though he had remained in a coma since he had been found. During that time, the doctors had treated his burns as best as possible and his skin had mostly healed, though he was horribly scarred on almost one hundred percent of his body. It had been determined though, through testing his DNA, that he was of Asian descent, but inquiries made to cities throughout the far east and the United States had gone unanswered. No one seemed to be missing this man. To the small medical community, he had become their living, breathing miracle.

A young nurse walked into the room, making her hourly rounds, and picked up the man's chart. The name read John Doe and she checked the last dosage of medication that had been given. He was mostly healed and had yet to wake up, so they had been trying a new drug that had seen some success recently with comatose patients. But the nurse was about to find out that the patient in this bed was not deserving of the help he had received.

Her face was suddenly aglow with astonishment, as the patient moaned and his brown eyes fluttered open.

"Oh my God…I've got to page Doctor Porter," she whispered in awe. He reached his hand toward the woman and she went to his side. It was a mistake that would cost her in the form of her life. His eyes glazed over with blackness and he clutched her throat, snapping her neck like nothing. Tossing the body away, he thrashed in the bed and tore the gauze away from his limbs. The machines blared with emergency warnings, as he ripped the wires and tubes away and stumbled to his feet. Seeing his reflection in the window, he tore the gauze away from his face and saw a scarred and aged face of Kiya Watanabe staring back at him…or at least the physical appearance of what used to be to Kiya. In reality, he had ceased to be Kiya many years ago and Lothor had been born of the evil inside him.

"Welcome back, my love," a woman's voice said. Lothor turned and grinned deviously.

"Ah my lovely Tamara..." Lothor hissed, as they joined hands.

"I have waited for this day for a very long time, my love. I was afraid it would never come," she recalled.

"It may not have if our enemies had their way, but now they will finally pay," Lothor replied.

"More than you know. The planet Mars will be in a most unusual and rare alignment in just a week's time," she informed him. Lothor's eyes widened with evil delight.

"If we open the abyss during the alignment, then nothing will stop us this time. But we must have the prisms," Lothor stated. She smirked.

"I have much to tell you," she replied

"What the devil is going on in here?" an orderly exclaimed, as he burst into the room. Lothor turned and purple energy erupted from his fingers, killing the poor man upon impact. Evil laughter bubbled from his throat, as he used his Ninja powers to transform himself into his evil Ninja garb once again and he donned his mask. The window cracked and glass flew everywhere, as they disappeared into a purple Ninja streak…

* * *

><p><em><strong>Two days later<strong>_

_**Athens, Greece**_

Screams of terror erupted in the museum, in a particular wing that displayed artifacts thought to be remnants of ancient Greek Mythology. Two bumbling monsters that Flurious had sent lurked through the exhibits until they found what they were looking for.

"There it is! The thunder stone of Zeus!" one of the creatures exclaimed.

"Fine, grab it and let's get out of here," the other griped. As he brought his hand to touch it, crimson lightning erupted from the stone, keeping him from touching it.

"Grab it, you fool," the other snapped.

"I can't touch it!" he growled back. The other tried and found the same results, receiving only a violent shock from the glowing stone.

"Hold it right there, meat heads," Adam snapped, as he and the others arrived, already morphed.

"Rangers..." they growled and charged. Chillers and Lava lizards arrived to give them back up. Kira, Xander, and Bridge took on the foot soldiers, as Tori and Adam went after the two aliens. While Tori kept them busy, Adam tried to touch the glowing stone, but pulled his hand away in pain, as it shocked him.

"You can't get it either, ranger," one of the alien's laughed. Adam charged at him and they dueled, while the other tried to best the blue ranger. But as usual, he sorely underestimated the female ranger and found himself on his back in defeat. Tori ran toward the stone and Adam called out to her.

"Careful Tori...I couldn't touch it without..." Adam's words died on his lips, as he watched her grab the stone. The crimson lightning sizzled, but didn't seem to hurt her. In response, blue ribbons of power coursed all over her body.

"Get her!" one of the monster's cried. Tori leapt up and kicked him back, as the other charge. The object in her hand reacted though, much to her surprise, and electrocuted him. The monsters retreated and the rangers were teleported back to the Hartford mansion with the thunder stone in tow.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Japan<strong>_

The monk climbed the Temple stairs, going about his daily duties of upkeep and prayer. The Temple of Air had stood for centuries, guarding an ancient power that generation after generation had protected it until the person chosen to wield its power came along. He had always admired the red stone of power, it was hard not to. Legend was only a master of air could properly use the power. He heard footsteps behind him and turned, finding a woman standing there.

"Stop...you are trespassing," he stated, raising his voice.

"You know, whoever decided that this dump needed so many steps is lucky he is probably already dead or I would kill him for making me ruin these boots," Tamara hissed.

"Now darling, you're being rude. That's no way to speak to someone that's about to hand us another piece toward ultimate power," Lothor said, as he joined her.

"You will not touch the power prism!" he refuted, as he fell into a defensive stance.

"I believe he is challenging you, dear," Tamara leered.

"Well, I guess I have no choice then," Lothor replied, as he charged the aging monk in spar. Lothor was ruthless, as he went straight for a knife punch to the throat and then twisted the poor man's arm, snapping his brittle bones. As the man lay crumbled on the ground before him, Lothor's eyes went black with his dark ninja powers and the man cried out in agony, as the dark power was thrust through his chest. When the energy dissipated, the man lay with a whole in his chest and vacant eyes. Tamara smirked evilly and took her husband's arm, as they waltzed up to the power prism on the pedestal.

"I had almost forgotten how ruthless you could be, my love. It's exhilarating," she gushed. He smirked.

"Speaking of exhilarating," he said, as he picked up the glowing red object.

"Two down...five to go," she said excitedly.

"This time...nothing will stop us, not even those meddling, powerless rangers," Lothor growled.

* * *

><p><em><strong>The Hartford Mansion<strong>_

"Any ideas why it's reacting like this?" Adam asked, as Andrew carefully examined the stone.

"Yeah and why only Tori can seem to touch it?" Mack asked.

"Well, I can tell you that I was wrong. The Thunder stone of Zeus isn't hiding one of the jewels of the Corona Aurora," Andrew replied.

"It's not?" Kira asked in confusion.

"So why were those goons after it?" Xander wondered.

"Good question. Seems like it was a waste of time," Dax replied.

"I didn't say that. There is definitely something inside this stone that's quite volatile," Andrew stated.

"Volatile to anyone except Tori, maybe," Rose said. Adam became pensive.

"Your powers were reacting to it too, weren't they?" he asked her.

"I guess..." she said, as she went back to thinking. Andrew continued drilling with the small tool, until finally the stone cracked. The room filled with crimson light and the sparks dissipated, allowing Andrew to extract the object.

"What is it?" Ronny asked.

"It's a prism...a crimson colored one. Suddenly, the blue prism around Tori's neck reacted to it and began glowing brightly.

"That's pretty freaky," Kira said. Tori's eyes lit up in recognition.

"That's why this seems so familiar! My powers lately have often been reacting to Hunter's and neither of us know why. When we've asked Sensei, he just gives us riddles. We know that he knows something, but I think he's trying to get us to figure it out," Tori explained.

"Well, if my instincts are right, then these two objects are not just ordinary prisms. I think you need to call Hunter and I think it's time Sensei Watanabe tells us what he knows," Adam said. Tori nodded, as she grabbed her phone and went to call him. But she was interrupted by the alert sounding.

"You'll have to put that phone call on hold. We've got trouble again," Andrew said, as they saw several city-sized monsters attacking San Angeles.

"I'm sending the zords," Andrew said. Adam nodded.

"It's Morphin Time!" he called.

"Magical Source, Mystic Force!" Xander chanted.

"S.P.D...Emergency!" Bridge cried.

"Dino Thunder, Power up, ha!" Kira shouted.

"Ninja Storm, Ranger Form, ha!" Tori called, as they hurried to the zords.

* * *

><p><em><strong>The Wind-Thunder Ninja Academy<strong>_

_**Outside Blue Bay Harbor**_

Hunter watched two of his students spar, while he and the rest observed. Nate was an aggressive crimson thunder ninja with an attitude sparring against a skilled, but more timid navy thunder ninja named David. Normally, Hunter wouldn't have been too concerned. He had once been just as hot headed as Nate and still could be at times, though he had matured a lot since those days. Still, even at his angriest, not counting when he was under Choobo's spell, he had never been as sadistic as he had witnessed Nate be. It concerned him greatly and he had even discussed a few of his students with Sensei Omino, including him and Zara. They were part of the dissension in the ranks and he had more than one altercation with some of these students.

Nate flipped David on his back, but instead of backing off since he had gotten the point, he proceeded to wrap his arm around David's neck while he was pinned on the ground.

"There's no room in the ranks for a weakling like you," he hissed.

"Stand down David!" Hunter ordered, but the student ignored him.

"One day, Sensei Bradley won't be here to protect the likes of you and the rest of these weaklings that follow him like loyal little sheep," he hissed. Hunter pulled him off the student and pushed him away, as he helped the other young ninja up.

"Michael, can you please take David to the nurse?" he asked. Michael nodded.

"I'm fine Sensei," David assured him. Hunter nodded.

"I'm sure you are, but we need to be positive," Hunter replied, as he looked sternly at Nate.

"What?" Nate scoffed.

"Your use of excessive force could have seriously hurt him. There's no need for it in sparring," Hunter stated.

"The waste of space is fine though, so no harm done, right _Sensei," _Nate said disrespectfully.

"Class is dismissed for now. You'll report to Sensei Omino tomorrow in place of your regular classes though. Until you can learn respect for the other students, your training is suspended. Nate grinded his teeth angrily.

"You can't do that!" he screamed, as the other students watched the exchange with interest and surprise.

"I'm your Sensei and you've displayed conduct that is a disgraceful and dishonoring of the ways of the Thunder Ninja..." Hunter said, but Nate angrily cut him off in mid sentence.

"You're the only disgrace here, Bradley!" he screamed, causing many of the students to gasp in surprise and a few to smirk proudly. But Hunter held his temper in check and only smirked

"Oh really?" he asked.

"The founders of this Academy would roll over in their graves if they could see your disgraceful conduct! It was once illegal for a Thunder Ninja and a Wind Ninja to be involved!" he screamed. Hunter rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, about three hundred years ago. Times have changed and my personal life is none of your business," Hunter retorted.

"You're right I guess, but you and your "bros" have gone and decided that we should all just push aside our rivalry and all get in bed with the Wind Academy," Nate hissed.

"Apart we fell to our true enemy, but together we prevailed over the evil. Joining the Academies is the right thing to do," Hunter argued.

"No, you fell because you're weak!" Nate said, as he charged him. Hunter dodged his punch in surprise, but quickly recovered and went on the defensive, as the angry student lashed out at him. Hunter dodged and blocked Nate's fury of punches and kicks. He wasn't surprised that the disruption soon attracted the other Sensei's. Shane, Dustin, and Leann stared at the exchange in disbelief. They had all sensed the dissension from some students, but this was the first time one had actually attacked one of them. Hunter found an easy opening since Nate had let his emotions take control, leaving him with a sloppy defense. Hunter swept his legs out from under him and pinned him to the mat. Shane and Dustin stepped forward to help, but none of them expected what happened next. Nate's eyes went black and he shot dark energy at them.

"Thunder shield!" Hunter cried, as he blocked the students from the dark energy. Dustin, Shane, and Leann reacted quickly, launching their own elements at him. Hunter joined them and they subdued the young dark ninja.

"What's going on?" Cam cried, as he arrived with his father.

"You're all a disgrace, that's what's going on!" Nate spat, as they restrained him.

"Where did you learn dark ninja magic?" Hunter questioned.

"Like I'd tell you," he spat.

"You have committed treason by practicing the dark arts. Our laws are clear on this matter. You will be banished for all time," Kanoi announced. Nate chuckled evilly.

"Do your worst, old man. You have no idea what's in store for you!" he ranted, as the Sensei encased him in a sphere of power and sent him away to the stars, much like his twin brother was so long ago. The students dispersed at their orders and Hunter retreated to Ninja Ops.

"I'm sorry Sensei," he apologized.

"It's not your fault, Hunter. Some will never get used to the idea of the merging, but it is what is best. Nate knew the consequences of using dark ninja power and unfortunately, not everyone can be saved, especially when you try to save them from themselves," Kanoi said, as he patted the crimson thunder wielder on the shoulder.

"Believe me, I would know," Kanoi added. Hunter nodded and was perplexed when Sensei handed him a tattered scroll.

"I know that you love Tori and that neither of you let the whispers around the Academy get to you. But if you ever doubt whether you are meant to be together, you may find comfort in this scroll," Kanoi said.

"Thanks Sensei, but ancient scroll riddles do nothing but confuse me," Hunter replied. Kanoi smiled.

Not this one. Read it," Kanoi insisted, as he quietly left the room. Hunter sighed and unrolled the document.

"Amethyst Storm," Hunter read and then sighed.

"Stupid riddles," he grumbled, as he reluctantly began to read.

* * *

><p><em><strong>The Hartford Mansion<strong>_

"That battle was brutal, mates," Xander said, as they filed into the rec room at the Hartford mansion.

"No doubt. I think I'm getting too old for this," Adam complained, as he dropped onto one of the couches. Tori took to the video phone and called ninja ops. She was happy and surprised to see Hunter answer instead of Cam.

"Hey babe," she greeted.

"Hi yourself, beautiful," he responded with a lazy smile.

"You look tired," she mentioned with concern.

"I'm fine. Sensei is making me read scrolls again about purple storms and a bunch of scroll gibberish that makes no sense to me," he complained. She smiled.

"You have such a short attention span. Always a man of action," she teased. He smirked.

"Well, I am a red," he reminded. She nodded.

"So true," she replied.

"You look tired too," he mentioned.

"I forgot how taxing three hour zord battles can be," she reminded. He winced.

"Wish I was there with you," he said.

"Me too, but I was hoping that you might be able to get away for a few days and visit me here. We found this artifact I think you should see," she replied.

"Seeing you is exactly what I need after today," he said. She frowned.

"Did something happen?" she asked. He sighed.

"One of my students attacked using dark ninja magic and we had to banish him," he told her. She gasped.

"What?" she asked in disbelief.

"He kept going on about how we were disgracing Academy tradition by joining together, among other things," Hunter replied.

"You mean us," she stated. He shook his head.

"It doesn't matter what any of them think. I love you and nothing is going to change that," he assured her. She smiled gently.

"I know, I love you too," she responded.

"I just wish that I could have done more, you know? Maybe I could have reached him somehow," Hunter lamented.

"No babe, he made his choices and you are not at fault. He knew the consequences of using the dark powers," Tori insisted. He smirked.

"That's what Sensei told me," he said.

"He's right and he would know," she replied. He nodded.

"Guess I'll see you tomorrow then?" he asked. She smiled brightly.

"I can't wait. I love you," she said.

"Love you too," he replied, as the video comm went dark.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Cairo, Egypt<strong>_

Jesse Zimmerman got out of his limo and entered the small cafe. He hated this arid climate and all the sand, but he hoped this trip would prove to be a lucrative venture. He sat down at a table with a man that was dressed in a typical khaki outfit, common for someone who often conducted explorations of ancient ruins.

"My informant says that you may have something of interest to me," Jesse stated.

"Yes, but this place is far too public," the man replied skittishly.

"I agree. My car is waiting outside," the CEO responded, as they quietly walked out and got into the limo.

"Drive," Jesse ordered. His driver obeyed and they headed out into the desert.

"Now...let me see if this artifact is worth the ten million asking price," he demanded. The man opened the case and Jesse looked inside. It was an impressive looking dagger, encrusted with jewels on the gold handle. But the most prominent black prismatic object on the hilt is what attracted his attention the most. The black prism rested between the mouths of two serpents on the hilt.

"You were right. I think you'll find the amount agreed upon in here," Jesse said, as he handed a metal case to the man. The archeologist opened the case and was satisfied to see that it was filled with money. The limo slowed and he was surprised to see a man and a woman get into the limo. The woman was beautiful, wearing a strange leather uniform and the man wore a similar uniform, but his face was marred by a frightening mask.

"Don't be frightened, these are just two of my colleagues, Kiya and Tamara, who are very interested in your discovery," Jesse assured.

"Yes...tell us where you found this extraordinary artifact," "Kiya" requested.

"Um...in the ancient temple of Apophis, or what is believed to be. I have just made history by discovering it," the archeologist responded.

"Apophis?" Tamara asked, playing dumb.

"Ah, Apophis, the serpent God of evil, according to ancient Egyptian mythology. The mortal enemy of Ra, the Sun God," Kiya said.

"I didn't think such a Temple existed," she replied.

"We didn't know it did until recently. It was destroyed and only the underground caverns remain. It would have been considered a place of pure evil in ancient Egyptian culture," the archeologist responded. She smirked.

"How very interesting," she said. The man shifted uncomfortably.

"Yes, well, I should be going," he said.

"Yes, by all means," Kiya responded. The man got out and started back toward town.

"Well, you have your dark prism now, it seems. What of the others?" Jesse asked.

"Patience, you'll get them once we have them all," Tamara replied.

"Fine, just at least get my money back," he requested. Lothor chuckled evilly and got out of the car. Screams were heard briefly, as he thrust the dagger into the poor man retreating toward town. Dark energy erupted from the prism and incinerated the remains instantly. Lothor tossed the case of money back to Zimmerman.

"We'll be in touch," she assured him, as the two disappeared in twin streaks. Jesse got back in his car.

"Take me to the airport. I'd like to get out of the sand trap," he ordered.

"Yes Sir," he obeyed, as he turned the car around and headed back toward the city...


	3. Counting Stars

Disclaimer: Power Rangers belongs to Saban Brands.

AN: Thanks for all the great review! Here's notes to those individuals:

Harry2: Yep, more former rangers will make an appearance in this chapter ;)

Boris Yeltsin: Thanks, glad you're enjoying it.

TommyOliverMMPRFan: LOL, yes that gibberish will get important really fast. ;)

fallingstar22: Yes, things really heat up in this chapter. :)

Pinkrangerfan: Yep, Lothor is back and more devious than ever. As for Jesse, he will pop up every now and then, but his significance will become clear in later stories.

MF 22: Yes, Sensei Omino is head of the Thunder Academy and Hunter takes his place as head at the Wind Academy. There is a scene in this coming chapter where Omino and Watanabe discuss what happened. In such an extreme circumstance, Kanoi made the judgement in Omino's absence. Hunter could have also made the decision, but Kanoi stepped in since it was such a huge grievance. A lesser disciplinary action would have been easily made by Hunter, as he demonstrated with Zara in the last story. As for more trouble makers in the ranks, that becomes even more evident in this chapter as well. ;)

During Once a Ranger, an evil from the past rises to join Thrax, causing the Sentinel Knight to call upon seven more rangers from the past to join Adam, Tori, Kira, Xander, and Bridge. Can a team of twelve past rangers handle the additional threats and restore power to the morphing grid for Operation Overdrive?

Pairings: Hunter/Tori, Adam/Tanya, Tommy/Kim, Billy/Kat, Conner/Kira and more.

Butterflies and Hurricanes

A Once a Ranger AU

Part 3

_"Counting Stars"_

"You did the right thing in my absence. Waiting for me come make the same judgement could have cost lives. I have lamented about Nate for several years now. He has always had violent tendencies. I guess I did not want to believe he would follow the dark path," Omino stated, as he sipped at his afternoon tea with Kanoi.

"I am sorry, my friend. To lose a student in that way is painful. When I lost Kiya, it was years before I could speak of it," Kanoi replied.

"I trust Hunter would have made the same decision. I did not make the decision that he would be my successor lightly," Omino said. Kanoi nodded.

"He is preoccupied with studying the scrolls I gave him. Much like I once was, he is always eager to be in the thick of the action, so he does not yet have the patience for the scrolls," Kanoi said in amusement.

"Fortunately Tori does. They are two halves of one coin, but we may not have time if the foreboding we feel is real," Omino stated.

"Hunter is already on his way to visit Tori. Cameron and I are following shortly this evening," Kanoi agreed.

"If the prisms are together, then we may not have to tell them anything. The power will do that," Omino said. Kanoi nodded.

"I fear that Thrax is not the only threat. There are others that have left in opposition to us, others that have dabbled in the dark arts. If they are presenting a united front against us, then all our lives could be in great danger," Kanoi stated.

"Then you and Cameron must go. I will prepare the rest of the students with Shane, Dustin, and Leann's help. We will be ready," Omino replied.

* * *

><p>The Sentinel Knight meditated alone that evening. They had expected another attack from Thrax earlier, given that they had taken the thunder stone from them, but he hadn't, which actually worried him more.<p>

"What are you planning, Thrax?" he questioned aloud, as he gazed up at the stars. He noticed that moon's peculiar position and the star representing Mars, which was very close and surprisingly large.

"Mars will eclipse the moon in just a few days..." he uttered, knowing the implication. But Thrax couldn't possibly know the danger that imposed, nor the ceremony required to unleash such havoc. But he couldn't shake the foreboding feeling he had. He knew of the ancient scroll's prophecy that could come to pass should the ritual be performed on the exact day.

"Something is not right...I must be prepared," he said, as he disappeared.

* * *

><p>I don't believe this!" Thrax complained.<p>

"That monster was supposed to be invincible!" Thrax growled.

"It's those rangers! The Overdrives were enough of a nuisance, but these veteran rangers are even more troublesome!" Flurious complained. Thrax growled.

"If only we had the jewels. I'd be invincible!" Thrax ranted.

"You still can be...if you play your cards right," a new voice said, as several shadows could be seen in the entrance to the cave.

"Show yourself!" Thrax demanded. The lead figure emerged with five ninja garbed individuals flanking him and a woman beside him.

"Who are you?" Moltor demanded.

"The name's Lothor. I'm sure you heard of me," he replied.

"As a matter of fact, I have. You're an even bigger failure than my parents when it comes to destroying rangers," Thrax spat, but he regretted it, as a yellowish beam shot out from Lothor's eyes and caused him to hold his head in agony.

"Mesagog's mind beam powers, among other things, rubbed off on me when his fortress exploded," Lothor explained, as he released him and warned the others with a look telling them that he would use it on them if needed.

"How did you survive that explosion anyway?" Flurious questioned.

"Haven't you ever heard that with the powers of a ninja...all things are possible?" Lothor prompted, though no one nodded in agreement.

"That goes double for an evil ninja," Lothor quipped.

"I burned alive and was exposed to large amounts of radioactivity that should have killed me. But my thirst for revenge knows no bounds and I will finally bring down the entire ranger legacy once and for all," Lothor stated.

"And how do you plan to do that?" Thrax asked.

"In less than five days, when Mars aligns with the moon, we are going to open the gates to the underworld and no rangers will be able to stop all the evil that will escape," Lothor growled maniacally.

"And what happens when they just call more blasted rangers to help fight?" Kamdor questioned.

"Let them. The more rangers to kill, the better. Now, you can go face them without me and be defeated, or you can join me and have a front row seat to the destruction of Zordon's Legacy," Lothor tempted. Thrax smirked.

"Tell me more about your plan," he requested.

* * *

><p>The crimson street bike slowed, as the rider applied pressure to the brakes. Getting access past the gate of the Hartford mansion was easy enough once he gave his name. Hunter parked the bike and removed his helmet, letting his unruly blonde hair free. Tori approached, as he dismounted the bike and greeted him with a kiss.<p>

"Hey," he said, as their lips parted.

"Hey yourself," she replied.

"I see Cam actually let you take the crimson rider," she mentioned.

"I know, I thought he'd say no, you know, cause he always says no. But he said I could this time. I think Leann is good for him," he replied. She smiled knowingly.

"He told you that if you wrecked it again then he's not rebuilding it again, didn't he?" she asked.

"Well, he's still Cam, so he's still an ass sometimes. But for the record, I didn't wreck it. Lothor's goons shot me out of the sky and I had a bad landing...both times," he replied. She laughed.

"So bad landing is another word for crashed?" she teased.

"I'm hurt babe. You're crushing my fragile ego here," he joked. She smiled and kissed him passionately.

"Better?" she asked. He smirked.

"Getting there," he replied, as their lips met again. She took his hand and led him inside where Andrew and Spencer greeted them first.

"Welcome, I'm Andrew Hartford and this is Spencer," he introduced himself.

"Nice to meet you. I'm Hunter Bradley, former crimson thunder ranger," he said.

"The others just sat down to eat if you both want to join them," Spencer said. Tori nodded and led him downstairs.

"Hey Hunter," Adam greeted, as they shook hands.

"Great to see you," Hunter replied, as he greeted Kira as well.

"Let's introduce you," the yellow Dino ranger suggested.

"These two are the rest of the "Retro Rangers. This is Bridge and he's from the future," Tori said.

"Really?" Hunter asked in surprise.

"True story...or at least it will be. Or maybe it won't. I could be changing history right now," Bridge rambled.

"I'm sure everything will be fine, Bridge," Kira assured him.

"I guess I know why Cam couldn't find your team in the ranger database," Hunter said. Bridge nodded.

"Yeah, I was just born last week," Bridge said.

"Moving on. Let's not go down that road again," Tori joked, before the buttered toast lover could start rambling again.

"This is Xander from Mystic Force," Tori introduced.

"Pleased to meet you, mate," he said, as they shook hands.

"Likewise," Hunter replied.

"And the rest here is Operation Overdrive," Adam said.

"I think you mean was," Will mumbled.

"I'm Mack, it's great to meet another veteran," the red ranger said enthusiastically.

"Nice to meet you too," Hunter replied.

"I'm Dax. Can you do the funky powers thing like Tori?" he asked curiously. Hunter smirked and looked at Tori.

"Yes, he is Overdrive's Dustin," she answered his thoughts.

"If you mean can I bend an element," Hunter said, as crimson lighting sizzled from his hand.

"Then yes," Hunter replied.

"That's awesome. It would make a great movie! And is being a Dustin a good thing?" Dax asked. They smirked.

"Depends on the day," Hunter replied. Dax looked confused.

"I'm Ronnie," the girl in yellow said.

"Ronnie Robinson, the race car driver, right?" Hunter asked. She nodded with a smile.

"Yeah, you're Blake Bradley's brother, right? You don't look anything like him," she replied.

"We're adopted," Hunter answered, as he shook hands with the next ranger.

"I'm Will," the one dressed in black introduced himself.

"Rose," the girl in pink said shyly. With introductions out of the way, they sat down to eat.

* * *

><p>"You fools! How could you let the rangers get that stone!" Lothor yelled.<p>

"I don't see why it matters. The Thunder stone of Zeus didn't contain a jewel after all, so it is of no concern," Flurious said dismissively.

"What was inside the thunder stone was far more useful than those silly trinkets you're collecting," Lothor spat.

"So what. They have two and you have three, assuming that girl really does have one. Plus you have the dark one," Thrax mentioned.

"We should organize an attack right away. If they don't yet know the significance of the prisms, then we must kill the blue ranger, before she and the crimson one realize their power," Tamara suggested.

"Yes, gather the army," Lothor ordered.

"Wait just a minute, I'm still in charge here!" Thrax protested.

"Not anymore, metal mouth...or would you like me to demonstrate what the dark prism can really do?" he threatened, as he held it close to Thrax's face. The creature shied away, as it began to sear his flesh.

"Fine...we'll do things your way," Thrax conceded.

"Excellent choice," Lothor spat.

"For now," Thrax hissed under his breath.

* * *

><p><em>The next morning<em>

Hunter and Adam shuffled along the training mats, engaged in an intense early morning spar. Tori observed, waiting for her time to step in. The other retros and the Overdrives shuffled in sleepily, wondering why there was so much commotion at eight in the morning.

"Why are you guys up so early?" Xander complained. Tori smirked.

"Classes at the Academy usually start around this time, so we as teachers have to get our own training done before that," she replied.

"Yeah, it's kind of the same thing at the dojo," Adam added, as he blocked Hunter's hook punch and returned a jab, which the blonde ducked.

"Rocky and I have to stay in shape and train before our classes," he continued, as he swept Hunter's legs out from under him. The taller man started falling and then caught himself and did a back hand spring to get back on his feet. Tori jumped into the fray and Adam blocked her fury of punches, while Hunter stepped back. Tori twisted to free herself, as Adam trapped her arms and flipped twice to split his defenses. Adam evaded her flying sidekick and she blocked his uppercut. They finished the spar and smiled at each other.

"Who's next?" Adam asked.

"Um...Tori kicked my butt enough in yesterday's spar," Kira said.

"Come on Xander, how about it?" Hunter asked. The green Mystic ranger shook his head.

"Um...I'm better with the magic, mate. I think I'll pass," he said. Hunter rolled his eyes.

"Fine. Since you guys are out of commission for the moment, you should probably keep your skills polished. Mack?" Adam asked. Mack eagerly stepped onto the mat to learn from Adam.

"Anyone else?" Tori asked. The other four glanced at each other and Will decided to speak for all.

"I think we're all done," Will said. Tori frowned.

"What?" she asked.

"We don't have powers anymore. What's the point of us even being here anymore if we can't be rangers?" Dax asked.

"We've decided that since you guys have everything under control that we should return to our normal lives," Ronny stated.

"Just because you don't have powers doesn't mean you can't help," Hunter replied.

"It's easier for you, Hunter. You're a ninja like Tori and you also have history with a lot of former rangers," Rose said.

"So you're quitting," he replied in agitation, as Tori put her hand on his shoulder.

"I know you guys are frustrated, but Alpha is working on fixing the morphing grid and he will succeed," Tori said.

"She's right. Just give him until the end of the week. If he still doesn't have it fixed, then you guys can walk," Adam suggested. They seem to accept that and nodded in agreement, just as another alert alarm went off.

"They're starting early today," Kira mentioned, as they all hurried to the command room.

"Thrax and his associates are at it again. This time just outside the city limits," Andrew said.

"Let's suit up," Adam said, as he grabbed his morpher.

"It's Morphin' Time!" he called.

"Magical Source, Mystic Force!" Xander called.

"S.P.D...Emergency!" Bridge shouted.

"Dino Thunder, Power up, ha!" Kira called.

"Ninja Storm, Ranger Form, Ha!" Tori called, as they hurried for the jet. Hunter sat down with the others to observe the battle. His attention, however, was caught by the crackling object that Hartford had on display.

"Is that it?" he asked. Andrew nodded.

"It's highly volatile, so be careful," Andrew warned, as Hunter felt himself drawn to the object.

* * *

><p>The Sentinel Knight paced before the group of young people he had chosen to join his other rangers if needed.<p>

"Something tells me that there is an even larger threat than Thrax right now. If that turns out to be the case, then the others will need help," he said.

"I think I speak for all of us when I say that we're ready. Once a Ranger, Always a Ranger," a male voice responded.

* * *

><p>Lothor watched the battle led by Thrax. Things, as usual, were slowly being turned in the ranger's favor.<p>

"It's time to change the tides," Lothor said, as he turned to face Tamara, his daughter Zara, and their army of nearly fifty defected ninjas from both Academies.

"In mere days, the planet Mars will be in position and we will unleash our wrath upon this world.

"But for now, it's time to remind Omino and Watanabe's lackeys that we will not be irrelevant any longer. This will just be a taste of what's in store for them," Lothor said, rallying his dark ninjas.

* * *

><p>Adam dealt another devastating blow, wiping out more chillers with his power axe. The others were slowly chipping away at the monsters and foot soldiers and he regrouped with his team. But something felt off.<p>

"Is it just me or does Thrax look a little smug for someone who is losing?" Adam questioned.

"I was thinking the same thing," Tori agreed.

"What are you guys talking about?" We've got this in the bag," Xander said. His statement was followed with a violent explosion that threw them back several feet. Upon impact with the ground, their morphs failed.

From the smoke, an army of figures emerged donning ninja garb. Zara glared coldly at Tori, but the water ninja could only stare in disbelief at the being next to her.

"Lothor..." she uttered. Adam looked at her.

"How is that possible?" he asked. She shook her head.

"I don't know...he should have died when Mesagog's island blew up!" Tori spat. Lothor chuckled evilly.

"Yes...and I burned alive! Then I spent three years lying in a hospital bed...all because of you and your friends!" Lothor spat, as he fired a blast directly at them. They were thrown back and hit the ground painfully again. Tori stared up into evil, as Lothor glared down at her. She yelped in pain, as he kicked her in the stomach and then grabbed a handful of her hair, yanking her to her knees. Zara glared at her and backhanded her hard across the face. Adam and Bridge struggled to come to her aide, but were subdued by the ninjas. Adam managed to fight them off, but then was holding his head in agony, as Lothor used his mind beam on him.

"Why Zara...why would you work for Lothor?" Tori demanded to know. She laughed.

"Oh sweetie, I'm not working for him. I'm his heir to the Throne," she replied, watching Tori's eyes widen in surprise.

"As for them, they want to stop ninjas like you from destroying hundreds of years of tradition by merging our schools. You're a disgrace!" Zara hissed.

"You're the only disgrace!" Tori hissed back. Zara growled and lunged at her, toppling her to the ground. Tori fought back and they traded blows and kicks, while Lothor laughed, as he looked on.

"Kill the rest," he ordered, as the ninjas descended.

* * *

><p><em>At the same time<em>

"Lothor..." Hunter uttered, as he jumped out of his seat.

"How is this possible?" Andrew wondered.

"I don't know...but I need to get out there," Hunter said, as he started outside for his bike.

"Hunter wait...you don't have any powers!" Andrew argued.

"He's right Hunter," a familiar voice said, as he turned his head.

"Sensei?" he asked, as he and Cam arrived.

"Lothor..." he uttered.

"He's back, I know. It's the foreboding that I have been feeling lately," Sensei stated.

"Cam...there has to be a way to re-energize our power discs," Hunter said. Cam shook his head.

"They're dead. Not even Billy can re-connect them to the morphing grid. Only a being like Sentinel Knight has that kind of power, save for a new power source all together," Cam explained. Hunter's eyes widened in recognition, as he rushed back inside and down to the control room. The others followed him in a hurry.

"That's it...Tori's prism isn't just an ordinary prism and neither is that!" he said, as he pointed at the crimson prism.

"Wait...you don't know what that thing will do," Cam protested.

"If it's meant for me, like the blue one is meant for Tori, then it will only make me stronger," Hunter replied.

"He's right Cameron. It is a storm prism, as is the one Tori wears," Kanoi stated.

"The Storm prisms? But that's just ninja folklore," Cam replied.

"So was just about everything else we've encountered. The scrolls are finally making sense," Hunter reminded.

"Okay, if that's true, then you know that there's also a dark prism," Cam said, as they turned to the screen where the battle raged and saw the object in Lothor's hand.

"And he has it," Cam stated gravely.

"He may have more than just the dark prism," Hunter said, indicating the red and yellow objects in Tamara and Zara's hands.

"Perfect," Cam said dryly, as they all watch Hunter grab the crimson prism. It sizzled with power and he slowly touched it to his power disc. It flashed with power and he put the prism around his neck.

"I'm going," he said, as he ran out and hopped on the crimson rider, before rushing to the battlefield.

* * *

><p>"Kill the rest!" Lothor ordered, as the ninjas descended.<p>

"Ranger up!" Adam ordered, as he grabbed his morpher from his belt.

"Mastodon!" he shouted, as he morphed in mid somersault, before his feet landed soundly on the ground.

"Magical Source, Mystic Force!" Xander summoned, as his green armor molded around him.

"S.P.D...Emergency!" Bridge called, as he became S.P.D. red and engaged more ninjas.

"Dino Thunder, Power up!" Kira called, as she morphed and attacked. Tori glared at Lothor and his family, before raising her arm to the sky.

"Ninja Storm, Ranger Form, Ha!" she summoned, as her blue armor appeared again.

With a wave of his hand, a hoard of Kelzack furies appeared and quickly began to overtake them.

"This is bad," Adam mentioned, as he and Bridge fought the dark ninjas and swarm of Kelzacks.

"Yep...I wonder what happens if I die in the past? Does baby me disappear?" Bridge wondered.

"Let's not find out, mate," Xander stressed, as he was flipped onto his back.

"They're going to overtake us!" Kira cried.

"Then how about some help?" a voice asked. Adam and Kira instantly recognized the signature key off.

"Dr. O!" Kira called in relief.

"Not just him!" another voice called. Tanya landed next to her husband and helped him fight off several Kelzacks.

"Hey babe," she said, smiling at him.

"I'm so glad to see you," he replied.

"Who else is here?" Adam asked. As he said that, he heard another male and female key off, as Billy and Kat disposed of five charging Chillers.

"I don't know who they are, but I'm glad to see them," Xander mentioned. Kira nodded and then gasped, as one of the dark, former air students shot an air beam at her. It was too late to evade and just as she thought she would be hit, a red blur grabbed her out of the way.

"Conner!" Kira said in relief.

"Thought I'd join the party," he quipped.

* * *

><p>Tori scissor kicked Zara away and smiled at the arrival or more rangers. The evil daughter of Lothor wiped her mouth and saw blood on her hand from her split lip.<p>

"You're going to pay for that, bitch," she hissed, as her eyes went black with dark ninja magic and purple energy swirled in her palm. Tori's water beam met the beam of dark energy, but she felt the evil energy slowly eating its way toward her. Zara laughed evilly.

"I can't wait to see the look on Sensei Hunter's face when I drop your lifeless corpse at his feet!" she sneered, as she intensified her blast. But a blast of crimson thunder at her feet threw her back violently into a tree.

"That's not going to happen," Hunter said, as he parked his bike and jumped off, before helping her up.

"Sorry I'm late," he apologized. Her visor opened and she smiled at him.

"You're just in time," she replied.

"Guys...let's ranger up!" Conner called.

"Good call," Tommy said with a smirk, as he held his very first morpher in his hand.

"It's Morphin' Time!" he called.

"Dragonzord!" he called, as his green armor and gold shield formed around his body. Billy took his from his belt as well, following Tommy's call.

"Triceratops!" he called.

"Ready girl?" Tanya asked. Kat nodded and willed her zeonizers into sight.

"Zeo Ranger I, Pink!" she called, as Tanya inserted her key into the morpher.

"Shift into Turbo!" she called. Conner smirked, as his Dino morpher flashed into sight.

"Dino Thunder, Power up!" he called, as he stood at point with his retro team.

"Well, looks like you're the odd ball, as usual crimson ranger," Lothor drawled. Hunter smirked.

"Yeah...I guess I am," Hunter said, as the crimson thunder prism flashed around his neck.

"So...you've activated one of the prisms. You know it won't matter," Lothor taunted.

"We'll see, because Sentinel Knight knows you have to be stopped so he sent even more rangers," Hunter replied, as Jen and Z rushed the Kelzacks, firing their blasters wildly.

"Woohoo..." Rocky called excitedly, as he punched and kicked his way through the ninjas.

Danny followed him, taking down the ones that actually managed to get up. They flanked their leader for the mission, as T.J. finished off more Lava lizards.

"Hey Lothor...can you taste the rainbow yet?" Rocky joked with a goofy grin. His teammates groaned.

"What?" he asked.

"I think we should morph and kick some space ninja butt," Hunter suggested. They nodded.

"Time for Time Force!" Jen called.

"S.P.D...Emergency!" Z shouted.

"Zeo Ranger III, Blue!" Rocky summoned.

"Wild Access!" Danny called.

"Shift Into Turbo!" T.J. called, as he inserted his Turbo key into his morpher.

Hunter's morpher flashed with newly restored power, as he did his signature hand movements.

"Thunder Storm, Ranger Form!" he called.

"Nice try rangers, but not even sixteen of you will be enough to stop me this time!" Lothor threatened, as his ninjas charged. The sixteen rangers charged back and the battle raged with a new intensity...


	4. Soul Divide

Disclaimer: Power Rangers belongs to Saban Brands.

AN: Thanks for all the great review! Enjoy this chapter.

During Once a Ranger, an evil from the past rises to join Thrax, causing the Sentinel Knight to call upon seven more rangers from the past to join Adam, Tori, Kira, Xander, and Bridge. Can a team of twelve past rangers handle the additional threats and restore power to the morphing grid for Operation Overdrive?

Pairings: Hunter/Tori, Adam/Tanya, Tommy/Kim, Billy/Kat, Conner/Kira and more.

Butterflies and Hurricanes

A Once a Ranger AU

Part 4

"_Soul Divide"_

As Hunter dispatched the Kelzack furies, he called on his new weapon afforded to him by his new power source. Twin sai, each crackling with crimson thunder on the gleaming blades appeared in his hands. He charged, slicing his way through his adversaries with his sights set on the dark ninjas in the near distance. But Tori's struggle caught his attention and he ran to her side, as she tumbled to the ground. His visor opened, as he helped her up.

"You need to charge your morpher with your prism," he told her.

"My prism?" she asked in confusion. He nodded.

"Sentinel Knight didn't give me my powers back. The crimson prism did and it gave me stronger powers," he explained. She canceled her morph and took the prism around her neck

She touched the glowing prism to her power disc and ribbons of blue power coursed all over her body. She looked at him and he nodded, as they stood up.

"Ninja Storm, Ranger Form, Ha!" she called, as she morphed again. Like Hunter's, her suit did not change, but she felt the increase in power and stronger link to the grid.

"The little power ups you just gave yourselves will be useless against me this time," Lothor hissed, as the dark prism bled an inky blackness from its place around his neck. Tamara and Zara handled the stolen red and yellow prisms and used them to fire air and earth beams at them. It blew them back, but they both flipped to evade the attacks and landed several feet away.

"Let's see what these new powers can do," Tori suggested. He nodded and new weapons materialized in their hands. In his hands were his new twin thunder sai, crackling with crimson thunder. In hers was her new hurricane bow. For close range fighting though, she attached it to her back and drew her ninja sword, before charging with him.

* * *

><p>"Yeah! This is awesome!" Dax cheered, as they watched the virtual ranger army take on Thrax, his cohorts, Lothor, and his army of dark ninjas.<p>

"At this rate, with this many rangers, they won't have any trouble winning," Ronny agreed.

"If Alpha can fix our morphers, then we'll be able to help," Will added.

"How's it coming, Alpha?" Rose asked.

"Slowly, but surely rangers," Alpha promised.

"You look worried, Cam. They're winning!" Mack said with enthusiasm.

"For now, but if these readings I'm getting mean anything, then we could have a serious problem," Cam replied, as they all peered down at the screen.

"What is that mass of blue?" Rose asked.

"It should be a map of the country," Cam responded.

"Any why is there a big blue blob spreading across it?" Dax asked, referring to the blue mass on the screen.

"It looks like a giant storm, but it's not raining," Ronny mentioned.

"It's a storm, just not the kind you're thinking of. It's like a blanket of evil," Cam stated.

"I don't understand. What does that mean?" Andrew asked.

"If the blood planet eclipses the moon, evil that has long since gone can rise again," Sensei recited.

"What does that mean?" Will asked impatiently.

"It means the world could be in more danger than ever," a new voice said. They turned, finding Spencer had let five new arrivals in.

Jason Lee Scott stood there with Trini and Kim, along with Shane and Dustin behind them.

"This is insane! How many more former rangers are there?" Ronny asked.

"A hell of a lot more than this," Jason replied.

"Dammit...no offense, but this is our time! We should be out there!" Will complained in frustration.

"This isn't about you, rookie. But there might be something Overdrive can do to help," Jason stated.

"Anything is better than sitting here," Mack said.

"I cannot restore the remaining three dino coins in my current state, but gaining the sword of Excelsior will restore me and foil Thrax's plan to gain the sword and use it for evil," Sentinel Knight stated.

"Here's the map," Andrew said, as he handed it to Mack.

"Let's go!" he called to his team.

"In the meantime, Dustin and I will go get our prisms back from these posers," Shane stated.

"Going out there now unmorphed would be a really bad idea," Cam warned.

"He's right," Jason agreed. Shane signed.

"Man, this is bogus! How did that freak even survive Mesagog's island exploding?" Dustin wondered in frustration.

"When one employs the use of dark ninja magic, they become privy to many unnatural powers and abilities.

"And the dark prism only makes him more unnaturally powerful," Cam said grimly, as they observed the battle with new wariness.

* * *

><p>Adam tackled Thrax as they dueled fiercely. He threw Adam off, but Tanya was waiting and delivered a series of fierce kicks. Thrax raised his staff and blocked her leg. He swiped at her with his staff. Sparks ensued, as she was thrown to the ground. Adam countered meeting his staff with the blade of his axe.<p>

"Give it up, black ranger. You never had a chance in defeating my father, so you have no chance against me," Thrax hissed.

"You like to hear yourself talk, don't you? Figures. Your dad loved the sound of his own voice too," Adam retorted. Thrax growled and knocked him away.

"I'll make you eat your words, ranger!" he growled, but was promptly pelted with blue laser fire.

"The only thing you're gonna eat is dirt," Rocky said, as he looked down at their enemy. Thrax raised his head and snarled at them. Rocky whistled in a low tone.

"Damn...he is butt ugly. Definitely Rita and Zedd's kid," Rocky joked. Thrax roared angrily and blew the three of them back with a flail of energy, as he got to his feet.

"Way to go, Rocko. You pissed him off more," Adam teased.

"Dude, if I had that face, I'd want to murder everything too," Rocky joked back. Tanya shook her head.

"All right, let's just end him already. Looking at his ugly mug is making me sick," Tanya quipped, as they charged again.

* * *

><p>Conner battled two particularly nasty Chillers. They were snarling and foaming at the mouth. One snapped its jaws and latched onto Conner's Tyranno staff.<p>

"That's right, eat Tyranno staff, buddy," Conner spat, as he fired a blast down the creature's throat, causing him to explode.

"Man, what is with these things?" Kira wondered, as she slashed at another with her Ptera grips.

"I think they've been altered. Mesagog used to do that with his mind control powers so it's safe to say that Lothor's putting his inherited powers to good use," Tommy suggested, as he fired green blasts of energy at another batch of Chillers with his dragon dagger. Once dispatched, they joined the others.

* * *

><p>Hunter and Tori battled the oncoming slew of dark ninjas, trying their best to only injure, as they fought their way to Lothor. He seemed eager to accept the challenge, as the ninjas branched off and went to the attack the other rangers. Lothor charged Hunter, while Zara and Tamara double teamed Tori. Armed with the air and the earth prisms, they launched blasts at her, blowing her back.<p>

"Poor little water ninja. Time to bury you," Zara hissed, as she held the glowing earth prism to her face. Tori's prism reacted and shot a torrent of water at the dark ninja, hurling her across the field.

"Only a true earth ninja can make that prism work like it's supposed to," Tori warned, as she summoned another beam of water, engulfing Tamara's attempt at an air beam and sending her into a soaking heap with her daughter.

* * *

><p>Hunter slammed his thunder sai down on Lothor's sword, dueling him for control. Lothor blasted him violently in the abdomen with the dark prism's energy sending him slamming painfully into a tree.<p>

"You're still pathetic as ever, crimson ranger, though I'll give you props for having the guts to take me one on one," Lothor drawled, as he slowly approached. Hunter got to his feet and leapt at him with a flying kick. Lothor growled and used his momentum to leap back to his feet from the ground. But Hunter was ready and powered up the new crimson blaster with an energy sphere of crackling crimson energy. Lothor was hit head on and slammed into a rocky outcropping. Black bled from his eyes, as he pulled himself to his feet. His dark energy gathered and the dark prism glowed, as the wind flailed around him, sending violent wisps at him. Hunter dug his feet in, trying to keep from being blown back.

"I should have gotten rid of you when I hacked your parents years ago. But now I can finally rectify that error," Lothor hissed, as he send the dark energy into the ground, barreling toward him. The ground beneath Hunter's feet began to crack and give way. He fell into the crevice, but began quickly climbing back to the surface. Lothor was waiting though and kicked him in the head. His head snapped to the side, but his helmet absorbed the rest of the attack he might have suffered to his head without it.

"Time to die, ranger brat," Lothor hissed, as he conjured another sphere of dark energy.

"Thunder shield!" Hunter cried at the last minute. The dark energy ricocheted off his shield and back at Lothor, tossing him back with a violent thrust. Hunter climbed out of the crevice, but suddenly felt like his body was on fire, as an electrified blinding cable wrapped around him from behind. He writhed on the ground in pain, as a masked thunder ninja hovered above him, holding the gauntlet that the cable was attached to. The ninja removed his mask and Nate smirked evilly at him.

"Good work Nate," Lothor said, as he approached.

"Do you want me to drag him back to your base?" Nate asked.

"No, the thunder prism is no good to us as long as he's still breathing. This one is going to die right here and now," Lothor said evilly, as he placed his foot on Hunter's helmet.

"Slowly, might I add. Time to squish you like the bug you are, crimson ranger," he growled, as he applied pressure. Hunter cried out in pain and a loud crack was hard, as his helmet visor cracked. Lothor ripped the helmet off.

"Raise him to his knees," Lothor ordered. Nate gladly grabbed a handful of Hunter's hair and forced him up to his knees. Lothor drew his sword and Hunter swallowed hard, as the blade hovered near his neck. He spared a glance at Tori, who fought to get to him.

"Don't worry, she'll be joining you really soon," Lothor promised, as he prepared to slit his throat.

"HUNTER!" Tori cried, as she activated her ninja sword gold mode and swiped at Zara and Tamara. The gold flails of power threw them back and she drew her new aqua bow, aiming for Lothor's hand. She fired an arrow and he yelped in pain, as it struck and he dropped his sword. He glared at her, as she began running for him and he conjured a sphere of dark energy from the prism.

"Tori...wait...no!" Hunter cried, as he prepared to fire at her. Despite the pain from the electrified binding, he knocked Nate away and tried to get to his feet. He shoved his shoulder into Lothor to knock him off balance. He fell to the ground and the energy his the tree behind him, blowing it to pieces and shaking the ground beneath them apart.

"That's it...there's about to be two dead ninjas," he growled, as he got to his feet with dark energy forming in his hands. Tori quickly picked up one of his sai and cut him loose, instantly relieving the pain and allowing him to stand. He saw the energy barreling toward them and grabbed her arms so they could get out of the way. Their prisms reacted to their closeness and the approaching dark energy, much to theirs and everyone's surprise. An amethyst shield exploded in front of them and they watched in amazement as purple fire ate away and nullified the dark energy.

"What's happening..." Tori wondered.

"Amethyst storm...it's what the scroll was talking about," Hunter recalled.

"Amethyst storm?" she asked.

"Fire storm...there's a reason why there is no school of fire," he replied. Suddenly everything he had been reading was making sense.

"I thought it was because it was too hard to control?" she asked.

"No...it's because it takes two elements which just so happen specifically to be ours," Hunter explained. She still had a lot of questions, but knew they would have to wait, as Lothor powered up more dark energy.

"Let's end him," Hunter said, as he picked up his thunder sai. She turned her bow horizontally and he attached his sai on either side, creating a new crossbow type weapon. The arrow became alive with amethyst fire, as they powered it up and fired it directly at Lothor. His eyes widened and he stopped his charge.

"No...not this time," he growled, as he grabbed Nate, who was only a few feet away and used him as a human shield.

"NO!" Hunter cried, as he realized Lothor's treachery. The blast hit and Nate was incinerated instantly.

"No..." Tori cried, as Lothor cackled evilly.

"You may have discovered your powers, but you're not going to defeat me that easily this time. And in a few days, not even your powers will be enough against me!" he roared, as he and the entire army, including Thrax disappeared. They canceled their morph and held each other close for a moment. Adam let them have a couple seconds, before walking toward them.

"Come on guys...let's get back," he urged. They nodded and joined the others.

* * *

><p>"You guys were awesome!" Dax said exuberantly. The Overdrive rangers were especially keyed up, because they had managed to gain the sword of Excelsior.<p>

"Yeah, we feel awesome," Adam said solemnly.

"What's wrong? You guys won," Dax pointed out.

"That wasn't a win!" Hunter snapped, but he calmed, as Tori put her hands on his arm.

"I'm sorry..." Hunter apologized.

"But Nate was one of my students. He was a jerk and a bad seed, but I still should...have done something," Hunter said, feeling guilty.

"It's not your fault," Tori insisted.

"Nathan made his own choices and knew what following the dark path entailed. All the students that have left us to follow Lothor have made a choice. None of you are responsible for their actions or choices," Sensei stated firmly.

"Yeah, he knew what Lothor is and he followed him anyway, knowing full well of his history of turning on his own any time it suited him," Cam reminded them.

"Yeah dude, so stop brooding," Dustin teased.

"Isn't that kind of like asking Hunter to stop being Hunter?" Shane joked. The crimson ranger rolled his eyes.

"All right," Hunter relented.

"Now, let's talk about those new powers!" Dustin said excitedly.

"You really need to lay off the caffeine," Tori mentioned.

"Except he hasn't had any," Shane replied, slightly annoyed by his best friend.

"Yeah, we all saw that purple stuff. What happened?" Ronny asked.

"We don't really know. We didn't actually do anything. The prisms just reacted to each other," Tori said.

"The scrolls are starting to make a little sense. But Lothor didn't seem very worried," Hunter mentioned.

"Sensei, do you have any idea what he's planning?" Adam asked.

"I'm afraid so, Adam," Kanoi said, as they all gathered around.

"In three days time, the planet Mars will be in close proximity to Earth. This is not as rare as some astrological events, but it is not common either," Kanoi stated.

"What does Mars have to do with any of this?" Will asked.

"Because it will allow Lothor to use the dark prism to open a sealed doorway that can only be accessed with the gamma rays given off by Mars when it is this close. This doorway is contained within the abyss of evil itself and could not be accessed before without these specific conditions," Kanoi explained.

"And when this doorway is opened?" Mack prompted.

"Every evil being that has once plagued the Earth in the past can return to this plane of existence. This is his plan. He will unleash a powerful demon army upon the Earth, enslave the human race and destroy us," Kanoi said gravely.

"All the past evil, including man that have an axe to grind with the power rangers," Cam added.

"Still want to ride this train solo, rookie?" Jason asked to Will. The black Overdrive ranger rolled his eyes.

"Okay...evil army. We need you guys," Will admitted.

"Can we talk about the cool purple powers now?" Dustin asked.

"I always thought there was no school of fire, because it was too hard to control," Tori mentioned.

"Partially. But the amethyst fire can only be conjured by the combined powers of a crimson thunder ninja and a water ninja. And yes, the power is fueled by positive feelings," Kanoi stated, giving them a warm smile, as Tori's hand found its way to Hunter's.

"I never wanted to burden your young love with duty and responsibility, but your combined powers will be essential in this war," he warned.

"Is that why the Wind and Thunder ninjas were forbidden to be together so long ago?" Hunter asked.

"Yes, because the child of a crimson thunder ninja and a water ninja has the potential to not only be incredibly powerful, but wield both elements, including conjuring amethyst fire as well," Kanoi stated.

"So they decided to try and tell people who they could and could not love, because they were scared of this power?" Hunter asked. Sensei nodded.

"Some were scared that such a child could be corrupted and then some of course feared that such a person could thwart those that chose to secretly practice the dark arts," Kanoi explained.

"Yeah, Lothor was worried. He was trying to hide it, but dude has a weak poker face," Dustin mentioned, as everyone looked at him in surprise.

"What?" he asked.

"We're just surprised that you're that observant," Shane teased.

"Whatever dudes, I'm a genius. Not so dumb after all, huh?" Dustin quipped, as he tapped his finger to his temple, as they scoffed.

"Let's not get carried away," Cam drawled.

"Green with envy?" Dustin challenged.

"No, just green," Cam retorted.

"Lothor may be worried, but Tori and I still aren't sure how we did all that. It just kind of happened," Hunter said.

"And the power will continue to aid you when needed, you will both train to control it, and trust in each other. Lothor should be worried," Kanoi told them. Tori leaned against him and he put his arm around her waist.

"And now that I am fully restored, I can reinforce our ranks," Sentinel Knight stated.

"Alpha says the Overdrive morphers will be reconnected by morning too," Adam mentioned.

"That's great, the more rangers the batter, mates," Xander said.

"Yes and with possible villains from the past, experience may be everything," Sentinel Knight said, as he approached Jason, Trini, and Kim, who each held their Dino morphers. Sentinel Knight's hand glowed and the morphers glowed too. The dull, dead coins now shined gold anew, as they were restored. Shane, Dustin, and Cam's were next, though they knew they still needed their prisms to give their morphers a needed upgrade.

"What about Blake?" Hunter asked.

"Kapri already called him. He's on a plane and he'll be here tomorrow," Cam replied.

"Let's just hope we can find a way to stop Lothor before that gateway is opened completely," Shane suggested.

"I've already contacted Lightspeed. They're going to meet us there that day," Billy said.

"Wes, Eric, and Jen too," Jason added.

"Well, I think it's safe to say that everyone needs to enjoy the down time while we have it. The Rec Room is available and I'll have Spencer order enough food to feed this brood," Andrew said.

"Yes...I'm starved!" Conner said.

"Yeah, I thought no one was going to suggest that we eat anytime soon," Rocky agreed, holding his stomach. The others simply shook their hands, as they slowly filed out.

* * *

><p>The laughter coming from the Rec Room told their mentors that they had all managed to unwind a little. Pizza boxes were empty and discarded and stories were being exchanged, hence the laughter.<p>

"So he's eating like everything in sight, including my fries, which I got pretty pissed about," Rocky said, as they listened.

"Cause you're a pig," Adam tossed in.

"Stuff it Froggie," Rocky commented. Tommy sighed, as he endured Rocky's stories, mainly about him.

"And then we find out he's got one of Rita's monsters inside his stomach," Rocky said. They made disgusted faces.

"Nasty..." Conner commented. Kira smacked his arm.

"Stop telling stories about me," Tommy said. Rocky shrugged.

"Sorry rainbow ranger, it's not my fault that there's so much material," Rocky teased. Tommy raised an eyebrow.

"Have you told them the story about the Pachinko machine?" Tommy asked. Rocky frowned.

"Pachinko machine?" Dax asked.

"What the hell is a Pachinko machine?" Conner asked.

"It was a weird pinball type machine that Ernie put in the Juice Bar. And Rocky got addicted," Adam answered.

"It was a spell!" Rocky insisted.

"Not at first. It was only a spell when we were fighting Pachinko Head and you were dancing around like an idiot," Tommy said, as they all laughed.

"Rocky just wants to have fun," Adam sung mockingly.

"Yeah, well at least I didn't fall in love with Scorpina," Rocky retorted.

"Trust me, the minute she went from being Sabrina to Scorpina, attraction went out the window," Adam promised.

"Yeah, but you were so shy and couldn't talk to girls. Nerd," Rocky poked fun. Adam playfully glared at his best friend, before turning to the others.

"Did I ever tell you about the time Rocko here turned himself into a plant?" Adam asked.

"No, no, no...that's not how it was," Rocky protested.

"Yeah, that's how it was. One botany class and all the sudden decided you were Captain Planet and cross bred a bunch of plant seeds. Next thing we know, we have a plant straight out of Little Shop 'O Horrors that's eating everything made of metal in sight and you're growing leaves out of your head," Adam said, as everyone laughed.

"Yeah and then you told Kat she had nice leaves and her stems weren't too bad either," Tanya reminded. Rocky rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, well at least I didn't get put under a singing spell. Talk about torture for the ears," Rocky commented.

"Hey!" Tanya protested.

"A singing spell?" Kira asked curiously.

"Queen Machina put Tanya and Tommy under a spell where they had to sing everything," Adam said, as they all cracked up.

"Tanya was bearable, but the esteemed Dr. Oliver sounds like a dying Tengu bird," Rocky added, as they all erupted in laughs.

"It's good to see them unwind a little after today," Andrew mentioned. Kanoi allowed himself a small smile.

"Yes...because the coming battle I fear will be their greatest challenge yet," he said ominously.

* * *

><p>"You have two prisms!" Lothor screamed, as he paced before them.<p>

"Yet you can't take care of one stupid girl!" he roared.

"She has a prism too, father and she caught me off guard. But it will not happen again," Zara insisted. He glared at her.

"It had better not or your fate will be the same as Nate's!" he threatened.

"Darling, we still have the dark prism. Nothing will stop us," Tamara said, trying to console him. But he batted her hand away.

"Except that now those brats have discovered that they can conjure amethyst fire if their prisms combine," Lothor growled.

"So what? It won't matter when you open the gates of Yomi," Thrax hissed.

"Trust me, it matters fool! Amethyst fire can ruin everything," Lothor insisted.

"So we eliminate those two first," Flurious suggested.

"Gee...why didn't I think of that? Were you not paying attention, your frozen twit? I was seconds away from executing that crimson insect when the water brat ruined it!" Lothor spat.

"That's it...we're done listening to you. We don't work for you!" Moltor hissed, as he challenged the dark ninja. But a simple spin kick sent Moltor flying back into a wall.

"Here's a demonstration of why I'm in charge!" Lothor growled, as a sizable sphere of dark energy formed in his hand and was fired at Moltor, who barely had time to scream before he was obliterated into nothing but ashes.

Flurious, Miratrix, Kamdor, and Thrax all held their heads in agony, as he used his mind meld powers on them.

"Would anyone else like to challenge me?" he asked. But he received no volunteers.

"That's what I thought," he hissed, as he grabbed one of the jewels of the Corona Aurora that they had acquired and tossed it to Kamdor.

"I have a mission for you and your lovely assistant," Lothor stated.

"What is it?" Miratrix questioned.

"Go to Onyx and find me a good bounty hunter, preferably not a smelly Sharkanian and hire him to eliminate the crimson and blue ninja rangers. I cannot have their interference when I open the gateway. Use the jewel as partial payment. They can have the rest once their lifeless bodies are at my feet," Lothor said.

"We've spent years looking for the jewels and you just want us to give one away?!" Kamdor exclaimed.

"Yeah and why are you so worried about those two?" Miratrix demanded to know.

"Well, if you must know, amethyst fire is the only thing that can seal the gates of Yomi once I've opened them and I'd rather make sure absolutely nothing and no one can stop me this time," Lothor said.

"Now go or you can join that lava loser in oblivion!" Lothor threatened, as they quickly left for their mission. Flurious remained in the shadows, silent, but furious that Lothor had taken over and claimed one his jewels, only to just give it away to a low life bounty hunter. He was not going to let this deed go unpunished...


	5. Lightning Crashes

Disclaimer: Power Rangers belongs to Saban Brands.

AN: Thanks for all the great review! Enjoy this chapter.

During Once a Ranger, an evil from the past rises to join Thrax, causing the Sentinel Knight to call upon seven more rangers from the past to join Adam, Tori, Kira, Xander, and Bridge. Can a team of twelve past rangers handle the additional threats and restore power to the morphing grid for Operation Overdrive?

Pairings: Hunter/Tori, Adam/Tanya, Tommy/Kim, Billy/Kat, Conner/Kira and more.

Butterflies and Hurricanes

A Once a Ranger AU

Part 5

"_Lightning Crashes"_

_The inky blackness was only illuminated by the burning embers on the wall of the cavern. She had not personally been in this place before, but had heard the stories from Hunter enough to know that she was inside the abyss of evil. _

"_TORI!" she heard him call. But she couldn't see him._

"_HUNTER!" she called. But he couldn't see her. However, Lothor's evil laughter chilled her to the bone. She finally found her way through the cavern and to the opening, where a sea of magma awaited below her. And on the platform above her, Lothor had the man she loved as his captive._

"_You're just in time, blue ranger. Say goodbye to your crimson lover," Lothor spat. Time seemed to slow, as he speared Hunter through the back and the blade came out his chest. _

"_NOOOOOO!" she screamed, as she ran to the top platform. By the time she got there, Lothor extracted his blade and Hunter fell to the ground in a pool of his own blood. She fell sobbing to her knees and crawled to him, taking him in her arms._

"_No...no, no, no, no, no," she cried repeatedly._

"_Tor..." he choked out, his eyes glassy._

"_Shh...it's okay. I'm going to get you out of here and get help," she promised. But they both knew he wouldn't make it. _

"_I...I love you," he managed to say with his remaining strength, __as he died in her arms. _

"_No...Hunter...please no..." she sobbed. _

"_Don't worry blue ranger, I'd be happy to make it possible for you to join him!" Lothor growled. She gasped and screamed, as his blade came down on her. _

* * *

><p>She sat up in bed with a start, her chest heaving, her body covered in a cold sweat. She looked beside her and started to calm, realizing it was merely a nightmare and the man she loved slept soundly beside her. She fell back onto the pillow and was content just to watch him sleep for quite some time. Finally realizing that she wasn't going to get back to sleep, she got up and put her robe on. She went outside on the balcony with a few scrolls and a reading light and started going over the ones Hunter had been reading.<p>

"_Should the gates of Yomi be opened when the blood planet eclipses the moon, the world shall be in great peril. Once opened, closed the gateway cannot be, unless there is amethyst fire to seal it," _Tori read, realizing instantly what it was talking about. She jumped though, as Hunter found her there.

"Sorry babe, didn't mean to startle you," he said. She smiled.

"It's okay," she replied, as he leaned down and nuzzled her neck, kissing her there tenderly. She put her arms around his neck and welcomed his lips on hers, as she felt the passion that had been so prevalent just a few hours ago lick at her senses again.

"Are you okay?" he finally asked, as their lips parted.

"I'm fine...just couldn't sleep," she replied. But he knew she was avoiding his question.

"Nightmare?" he asked. He knew she didn't like admitting that she, tough as nails Tori, got scared.

"It was nothing," she insisted.

"It's okay to be scared, you know. I get scared all the time," he admitted, before looking at her with a smirk.

"Just don't tell the guys," he added, making her giggle.

"I'm afraid of losing you and that's what my dream was about. Then...I was reading the scrolls and I think I figured it out. I know why he's so intent on making sure he kills us," Tori replied. He raised an eyebrow.

"You mean more intent on killing us than usual?" he joked. She rolled her eyes.

"Yes, specifically us. It's because of the amethyst fire. If what this scrolls says is right, then if he does open the gates of Yomi, amethyst fire is the only thing and I mean the _only _thing that can seal the gates back up," she said.

"The gates of Yomi?" he asked, not recognizing the term.

"Also known as Hades or Sheol. They all roughly translate to world of the dead. But in this case, we're talking where all the bad souls go," Tori replied.

"So basically the gates of hell," Hunter said. She nodded.

"A lot like what Goldar did on the island, but much worse and on a lot bigger scale," she replied.

"So he wants us out of the way so there's absolutely no way he can be stopped," he concluded. She nodded.

"Well, as usual, Lothor is going to fail, cause we're not going anywhere," he said, as he kissed her forehead.

"Aren't you even a little worried that he'll be gunning for us?" she asked.

"Of course I'm worried, mostly about you, as usual. But if we let that consume us, then Lothor's already won," he replied. She looked at him in surprise.

"Why Sensei Bradley, when did you become so wise?" she asked coyly. He smirked and kissed her again.

"I had a really good teacher," he replied tenderly, as he looked into her eyes. She felt her cheeks warm, as he stood up.

"Come on, let's go back to bed," he suggested.

"Okay, but I'm not sure I can go back to sleep. I'm pretty wired now," she replied. He chuckled and surprised her by sweeping her into his arms.

"I didn't say we were going back to sleep," he replied with a sexy smirk, as he carried her back inside.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Onyx<strong>_

Miratrix crinkled her nose in disgust, as they walked into the dirty, foul smelling tavern. Beings from every corner of the universe milled about, gambling, drinking, or participating in other less than savory activities. Many were lackeys for hire or bounty hunters that often came to the lawless planet of Onyx to kick back between assignments. There was no better place to find someone to do a job than here, especially if your intentions were less than honorable. It was an employer's market. The best and worst in the business all in a one stop shop.

"This place is disgusting. I can't believe we have to give one of the jewels to one of these heathens," Miratrix hissed.

"Relax, we have no choice for now. Trust me, I will make Lothor pay for this. But the rangers are the bigger threat, so we will play his game. Then I will regain the jewels in due time and when the Corona Aurora is on my head, I will show Lothor true power," Kamdor said, as they approached the bar.

"What can I get you?" the blue hued alien bartender asked.

"I'm looking to hire a bounty hunter...a good one for Lothor," Kamdor stated.

"So Lothor's back..." he stated.

"Trouble with the power rangers, I assume," he continued.

"Then you heard of them," Miratrix surmised.

"Of course. For a backwater little planet with a relatively weak species, these Earth rangers certainly know how to defend their planet. They've unseated some of the universe's worst. Lord Zedd was once a grand ruler and quickly became the laughing stock of this tavern," the bartender said.

"Yeah, and then you have the Machine Empire, which conquered everything in their path until the zeo rangers made space dust out of them," another chimed in.

"And Lothor? He is the biggest joke of them all. He took their powers and they still defeated him," the bartender laughed, as many others joined them.

"We agree that he's a buffoon, but he has acquired an object that has made him possibly more powerful than even the great Dark Spector once was," Kamdor said, hating that his words were true.

"Please...in his dreams. If he needs to hire a bounty hunter, then he's not too powerful," another alien drawled.

"Earth rangers cannot be underestimated though. It hasn't mattered how powerful their adversaries have been. Aliens, demons, Orgs, Mutants...they have all fallen to these warriors," the bartender warned.

"The rookie team was manageable, but with the return of that buffoon came several veteran teams," Miratrix informed them.

"What is that whack job Lothor plotting this time?" another alien asked.

"Oh, he only plans to open the gates of Yomi," Miratrix said nonchalantly. A hush fell over the Tavern.

"Lothor is going to open the gates of Yomi?" one alien uttered in disbelief. She nodded curtly.

"I always knew he was never playing with a full deck," the bartender grumbled.

"And why does he need a bounty hunter?" he continued, as he did a shot himself, while pouring others.

"Because these two are the only ones that can close the gates," Miratrix said, as she pressed play on the small device, showing the blue water and crimson thunder rangers combining their prism energies to create amethyst fire.

"Opening the gates would mean pure chaos not only on Earth, but throughout the entire galaxy," one alien said excitedly.

"It would be very good for our kind," another mentioned.

"So does anyone want the job?" Miratrix snapped.

"We're not going near those rangers. None of us have a death wish," the bartender said. Miratrix threw up her hands.

"This is a waste of time," she snapped. Kamdor raised his hand to stop her coming tirade.

"You need Velek..." the bartender said, pointing to the table in the corner. They couldn't tell what kind of being the bounty hunter was, for he kept the hood of his cloak on, as he nursed his drink.

"Velek is the best bounty hunter in this galaxy," the bartender said.

"Then how come I've never heard of him?"Kamdor hissed.

"Because most that have are either dead or my employers," a female voice said, as the bounty hunter dropped her hood. She was a female belonging to a race that Kamdor wasn't familiar with. She had orange skin and instead of hair, she had four long tentacles that extended out of her head and all the way down her back. Now that her cloak was removed, she clearly had a very toned, feminine body that was evident in the bodysuit she wore. But her transparent colored eyes were perhaps the most unnerving thing about her. She took the device from Miratrix and examined the pair on the small screen.

"Ninjas?" she asked.

"Yes...a water ninja and a thunder ninja," Kamdor replied. She smirked.

"Lovers I assume. They might be an exciting challenge, but I don't work cheap," she snapped.

"Kill them and a coveted jewel of the Corona Aurora will be yours," Kamdor tempted. She snatched it from his hand with lightning speed, alarming him.

"Expensive little bauble. It should bring a nice price on the black market. I'll take it as the first half of my payment. I'll expect more when the job is done," she said. Kamdor growled, but Miratrix stopped him.

"I'm sure Lothor will be more than happy to compensate you more once they're dead," she stated. She nodded and put her cloak on.

"Do you have a ship or do I need to acquire my own?" she asked.

"We have a ship. Let's go," Kamdor snapped, as they left the smelly establishment.

* * *

><p>So far, the day had been quiet. The youngest team didn't see anything wrong with that and enjoyed a little relaxation in the rec room. Xander wasn't bothered either<p>

and used his time to talk on the phone with some girl he had met a couple days ago. Apparently, if "Plan Xander" went accordingly, he would have a hot date tonight. Bridge was naturally eating his toast, of which Spencer made sure he was in possession of most of the time. Most of the others were doing light sparring or observing from the sidelines, while idly listening to the television nearby. The news reporter that suddenly mentioned power rangers caught their attention.

"_Lately, San Angeles has been captivated by the appearance of multiple power rangers, some which have not been seen in years, popping up recently in the city. No one is sure why the Overdrive rangers have suddenly disappeared, as they have not made a statement. Before the Overdrive team, the identities of only a few teams have ever been revealed and some are calling for these other teams to reveal their identities. Joining me now is President of Gridiron Industries, Jesse Zimmerman, the country's leading source of energy and top provider of military weaponry, with multiple government contracts. Mr. Zimmerman, thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to talk to us,"_ the female reporter said.

"_You're very welcome, Ms. Jenkins,"_ Jesse said smoothly.

"_Can you tell us about your interest in this subject?"_ she asked.

"_Well, the power rangers have protected us for fifteen years and with the exception of a few teams like Lightspeed, they have largely operated on their own,"_ he stated. She nodded.

"_Some government and law enforcement officials consider the power rangers vigilantes,"_ she stated.

"_Yes and while I would not go that far, I think the opportunity to work together with all teams is too good to pass up,"_ Jesse responded.

"Yeah, the government wants to control us. That's just what we need," Hunter commented.

"Or them getting their hands on the morphing grid," Billy replied.

"Yeah, Jesse Zimmerman can definitely not be trusted," Bridge said, as he munched on his toast.

"Man...this toast is so buttery," he said, wiggling his fingers, as he continued to lose himself in the buttery goodness. But then he realized everyone was looking at him.

"Bridge...do we have a reason to worry about this Zimmerman guy?" Adam asked.

"Uh...you know I can't talk about the future. I shouldn't even have said what I said...but I got lost in the butteriness," he rambled.

"Wow dude...and I thought I could ramble," Dustin joked.

"I know you can't talk about the future...but some futures should be prevented. Is this one of those cases?" Jason asked. Bridge avoided his gaze. Kira noticed the other reds giving him the "leader stare" as she called.

"Guys...leave him alone. He can't tell us. Besides, how much can this guy really do?" she asked.

"He's a billionaire, so you'd be surprised how much," Adam replied.

"Yeah, he can just throw money around to get what he wants," Hunter added.

"Billy...could there ever be any threat to the grid?" Jason asked.

"Even if this guy or someone else were ever to get access, I could shut them down in an instant," Billy replied.

"But my dad got access," Mack mentioned. Billy smirked.

"I knew the minute he tapped the grid and I could have shut him down right then and there. But he had good intentions and a new group was needed, so I _let_ him continue," Billy replied.

"How big is your nerd envy right now?" Hunter teased Cam, who rolled his eyes.

"Funny," Cam deadpanned.

"Yeah, but from the look on Bridge's face, then we have reason to worry about this guy," Rocky said. Bridge sighed.

"Look, I can't tell you anything except that you're all alive and well in the future," Bridge insisted.

"But this won't be our last return to power, right?" Conner asked.

"I'm not answering that," Bridge refused.

"Guys...lay off. He really could do more harm than good if he tells us anything," Billy warned.

"Why don't you guys just tell them who you are? They know our identities and nothing bad has happened," Will reasoned.

"Yeah, in fact, it's kind of cool. We're local celebrities!" Dax added.

"No way, my career with the FBI would be over," Jason replied.

"And mine as a detective," Rocky added.

"We would never risk exposing the Academy," Shane said.

"Yeah, I can't afford to replace all the cameras I would break," Hunter added, as they snickered.

"The point of what we do is that no one knows about it or how much danger they might be in," Cam added.

"But...don't you want to get credit where credit is due?" Dax asked.

"The problem is they will want to exploit us and pick apart everything we do. And you should know better than anyone that the media loves to build their heroes up just so they can tear them down," Tori replied.

"She's right. They've been tearing the power rangers down for years," Adam said. Jason nodded.

"Yeah, you really think that if they knew who we were that people wouldn't try to sue us for all the damage that's done during our Megazord battles?" Jason asked.

"Lightspeed was backed by the government and I don't want to jinx you guys, but I'll be surprised if someone doesn't try it. They did with the Space rangers, even though they didn't get anywhere," Billy replied. The Overdrive rangers looked horrified.

"Sorry guys, we don't mean to scare you, but being a ranger isn't as completely glorified like it seems. Some of have been out of the game a while and we see how civilians and officials view the rangers. Some love us...the innocent people we protect," Tommy tried to explain.

"But there's a lot of humans out there that aren't so innocent," Adam continued.

"Some are just evil," Hunter said more bluntly.

"We learned that all too well in Goldar's Dark Dimension and in Mexico," Tori recalled, shivering at the memories, as Hunter squeezed her hand.

"What happened?" Dax asked curiously. As they were about to tell the more recent stories, the alert sounded. They hurried to the view screen and saw some of Flurious' and Lothor's monsters attacking the city.

"The dark ninjas are moving toward the city too. You'll want to head them off," Jason said. Hunter nodded.

"If too many people see them, it might endanger the existence of the Academy," he said.

"The rest of us will take the city. Ready rookies?" Jason asked. Will rolled his eyes.

"Yeah, but can you stop calling us that?" he asked.

"Nope," Jason replied, as he took the lead.

"It's Morphin Time!" he called.

"Shift Into Turbo!"

"Time for Time Force!"

Wild Access!"

"Ninja Storm, Ranger Form!"

"Thunder Storm, Ranger Form!"

"Dino Thunder, Power up, ha!"

S.P.D...Emergency!"

"Magical Source, Mystic Force!"

"Overdrive Accelerate!"

* * *

><p>"I don't believe this!" Blake hissed, as he stared at the flight board above him. He was on a layover in Denver and now because of an intense electrical storm, his flight was delayed indefinitely.<p>

"Great...the fate of the Universe hangs in the balance and I'll be a no show," he grumbled. He had no choice. He was going to have to rent a car and drive. Even if he drove straight through, it would be two days before he could get to San Angeles.

"A thunderstorm is what is keeping me from getting there," he said in exasperation.

"You're a real comedian, fate. Hunter would be laughing his ass right now if he knew," Blake joked to himself, deciding that he should call his brother. As he took out his phone, an older woman, maybe in her sixties passed by and handed him one of the brochures she seemed to be handing out to everyone. He looked at it and then back at her. She looked vaguely familiar, but he couldn't put his finger on why.

"Haokah Mountain?" Blake asked, quirking an eyebrow.

"Yes, meaning God of Thunder to many Native Americans. The Lakota and the Cheyenne called it that because of the spectacular light shows that occur around the mountain. Their legends say that a powerful artifact was placed there by the great Thunderbird himself and it is responsible for the magnificent light shows that go on there. It is a very popular attraction here if you have time to kill," she said, before she walked away. Blake glanced down at the brochure and sighed.

"It couldn't be..." he said, recalling Hunter's recent possession of a prism much like the one pictured in this brochure. He was about to dismiss it when he happened to catch a glimpse of another person's brochure, revealing it was one about the Great Divide. He looked around and found that he was the only one with this particular brochure. He looked around for that woman and found her to be no where in sight. He sighed and his ninja instincts wouldn't let it go.

"This better not be a wild goose chase," Blake said, as he left the airport to follow the conveniently enclosed map.

* * *

><p>The five rangers stopped on the ridge that overlooked the grassy valley below where Lothor's dark ninjas, dozens in numbers, approached the outskirts of San Angeles. Leading them were Tamara and Zara.<p>

"We need to get those prisms from them," Shane said.

"Easier said than done, dude," Dustin retorted.  
>"You two go after Zara and Tamara. The three of us will hold off the others," Cam said.<p>

"Dude...where is Blake? Shouldn't he be here by now?" Shane asked.

"I'm not sure. We'll have to do without him for now," Hunter replied, as they ninja streaked to the valley below. Nearby, a river and a very large waterfall that cascaded into the canyon lake below. The ground was soft with moisture, making for uneven and precarious terrain.

Tamara used the air prism to sail into the air, but Shane was right behind her, using the same abilities he had mastered to propel through the sky. He shot an air beam at her and slammed her into a tree. She tumbled to the ground and he landed beside her.

"You'll never get this prism," she growled.

"It's not meant for you. You don't know how to use it or control it," Shane retorted.

"I'm going to make you eat your words!" Tamara spat, as she used the prism to fire an attack. But to her horror, Shane took control of her air beam and morphed it into a swirling red cyclone before pushing it back at her. She screamed, as it picked her up and then spit her out about twenty feet away. She whimpered in pain, clearly hurt and injured. Shane streaked to her location and the prism glowed ruby red at his proximity. It seared her hand and she was forced to let go, as it flew into its chosen's hand, as Shane glared down at her.

"Fine...you have it. Are you going to kill me?" she asked. He shook his head.

"You're already defeated and I don't fight those weaker than me," he replied simply, as he walked away.

"Dustin chased Zara beneath the ground, as she used the Earth prism's powers. But Dustin was far more skilled and in tune with his powers. He quickly cut her off underground and blasted her to the surface with an earth beam. She coughed and started brushing herself off, as Dustin came to the surface as well.

"Dude, if you don't want to get dirty, then you shouldn't play in the dirt," he quipped. She growled and launched an earth beam at him. But Dustin stopped the beam with his palm and took control of it. The ground rumbled beneath her, as he sent it back at her. The ground underneath her erupted, spraying her with mud and tossing her about. He rolled away and cried out, as the prism in her hand glowed bright gold, searing her hand, before floating into the Earth ninja's hand.

"Oooohhh...denied, guess it likes me better, dude," Dustin said, as Shane joined him and they canceled their current morph.

"Time to join the upgrade club," he said, as they touched the prisms to their morphers.

"Ninja Storm...Ranger Form, ha!" they called. Their armor had not changed, but they both instantly felt a stronger connection to the power and their element. New weapons appeared in their hands and Shane found his to be a saber with the hawk insignia. He heard Dustin call out in excitement.

"Sweet dude! Nunchuks!" Dustin said, as he examined his new Lion chucks. Shane shook his head.

"Someone out there has a sense of humor," he commented, as they charged their foes.

Hunter swung his thunder staff expertly, like it was an extension of his own body. It was alive with crimson thunder, enough to disable the oncoming ninjas, but not enough to kill them. He was all for frying evil space ninjas, but he wanted to avoid killing these former teachers and students. He hoped, like he and Blake, they could still be saved. Lothor could very deceitful, persuasive, and convincing, so he hoped beyond all hopes that they would return to the light and not suffer the same fate as Nate.

Tori completed a series of back flips and swiped her ninja sword, sending gold flails of energy to keep her attackers at bay. They slowly surrounded them both and Tori tried to plead with them.

"Why do you follow Lothor?" she questioned.

"He'll kill each and everyone of you to get what he wants," Hunter added.

"Once he opens the gates of Yomi, that's it. He could be unstoppable and he'll use all of you to fuel his own power!" Tori pleaded.

"Lothor is simply the means to an end. The end of you and your friends' disgrace and a return to the sacred tradition that made our schools great," the masked earth ninja hissed. Tori thought she vaguely recognized the voice, thinking he sounded like a former teacher.

"You're deluded if you think Lothor gives a crap about our schools," Hunter spat.

"We're not stupid..." a female voice hissed. It came from a navy thunder ninja

"But with you and the other rangers out of the way, Lothor will do what he wants and as a reward for our allegiance, he'll leave us alone, providing the six of you and your allies are out of the way," she continued.

"Then we can return to the ways of old...the days of glory," a male air ninja added.

"You mean when ninjas were disgraceful assassins for hire and morally bankrupt? The days where ninjas were loyal only to the highest bidder? No thanks," Tori spat.

"Yeah, not gonna happen. We've become honorable warriors and we're not going to let a few rejects ruin what we've built," Hunter agreed.

"We'll see," he replied, as they charged again. Suddenly, laser fire pelted the ground around them.

"Reinforcements have arrived," one of the dark ninjas said, as they backed away.

"What the..." Hunter began to say, but the words died on his lips, as they saw an alien approaching, armed with a smoking blaster.

"Sorry rangers, but your time is up," she said.

"Who are you?" Tori demanded. She smirked.

"Your executioner. I've been paid very handsomely to ensure yours and your lover's demise," she answered.

"You're a bounty hunter. Lothor must really be worried about us," Hunter stated.

"I don't know, nor do I care. I was paid to do a job and I always finish my jobs," she stated.

"Well, we'd love to make us the first one you fail at," Tori said and Hunter smirked as his hands became alive with crimson lightning.

"Please...they told me all about your little light show tricks and I'm not worried," she scoffed. But the energy formed into two crackling orbs that grew, as his prism fed the power.

"Crimson thunder clouds!" he called, as he hurled at least a dozen at her in rapid succession. Her eyes widened in surprise and she found herself dodging to avoid being pummeled and fried by the lightning. It was followed up by a wave attack that nearly bowled her over.

"Well, well, this might be a challenge, after all," she said, as she prepared to duel the pair she had been hired to eliminate...


	6. Set Fire to the Rain

Disclaimer: Power Rangers belongs to Saban Brands.

AN: Thanks for all the great review! Enjoy this chapter.

During Once a Ranger, an evil from the past rises to join Thrax, causing the Sentinel Knight to call upon seven more rangers from the past to join Adam, Tori, Kira, Xander, and Bridge. Can a team of twelve past rangers handle the additional threats and restore power to the morphing grid for Operation Overdrive?

Pairings: Hunter/Tori, Adam/Tanya, Tommy/Kim, Billy/Kat, Conner/Kira and more.

Butterflies and Hurricanes

A Once a Ranger AU

Part 6

_Set Fire to the Rain_

Leann Omino Watanabe arrived home at the old Thunder Academy. Cam was away in San Angeles and had told her of the dire situation that may befall them. She decided to visit her father in person to tell him of what had transpired. He would help her rally the thunder ninja students for the coming battle, she knew. But the shouting she heard from the Academy grounds startled her and she quickly hurried to see what was happening...

_Several moments earlier..._

Sensei Omino finished his rounds around the old grounds. Most students were now settled on the new campus and only auxiliary staff remained. He saw two of his loyal staff members trying to keep an approaching figure at bay. But the two ninjas were sent flying, as the man approached.

"These are sacred grounds! You dare to trespass?!" Omino called out.

"Now Sensei...i just came for a visit," the man, wearing a very expensive suit, claimed. Omino scrutinized the man carefully and his eyes suddenly widened in recognition.

"Garrick..." he uttered the name.

"I no longer use that name. To the world, Garrick Wells is dead. As you know though, I've done quite well for myself under my new alias," the man replied.

"Garrick Wells is a murderer! Changing your name doesn't erase your deeds!" Omino spat.

"Garrick Wells was killed in prison. I became Jesse Zimmerman that fateful night my death was staged. I spent years in obscurity, before climbing my way to the top from nothing. Meanwhile, you went on to become head Sensei, stole my son, and disgraced the Academy by joining with those wind heathens," Jesse growled.

"You murdered your wife, a fellow ninja and believe me, your son was better off," Omino spat back.

"I've waited a very long time to pay you back for your part in all of that. But I guess it's true what they say. Revenge is a dish best served cold," he hissed, as his eyes went black. He conjured a mass of dark energy from his hands and fired it at the aging Sensei. Omino attempted to counter with crimson thunder. But the dark energy was too much and quickly overwhelmed him.

"NOOOOO!" Leann cried, as she ran to him, but he blasted her back and she collided with a wall, crumpling to the ground. The dark energy slammed into Omino, lifting him off the ground and throwing him about twenty feet away. He landed hard on his back and rolled several times. The black hole in his chest was telling and he struggled to breathe. Jesse kicked him onto his back and knelt down.

"The crimson prism has already been found by the brat. Tell me where the navy one is," Jesse demanded.

"You'll never get it," Omino choked. Jesse glared at him and kicked him viciously in the chest.

"See you in hell, old man," he spat, as he left. A few moments later, Leann groaned in pain and pulled herself off the ground. She saw her father's most trusted assistants gathered around his body.

"Father!" she cried, as she fell to her knees beside him. The two assistants were already shedding tears.

"Leann..." he choked.

"Shh...daddy, save your strength. We're going to get you help," she said.

"I'm afraid...it's too late," he rasped. Tears spilled down her cheeks, as she kissed his hand.

"Daddy...no...NO!" she sobbed, as he quietly slipped away. The two assistants, a man and a woman cradled the crying young woman between them.

"I know how much you are hurting, sweetheart, but Sensei Watanabe and your husband must know what has transpired here," the woman said softly. Leann looked up at her.

"Who was that man?" she demanded.

"A very dangerous former thunder ninja. Nearly twenty-five years ago, it was discovered that he was secretly practicing the dark arts. His own wife confronted him and he murdered her, while their small son was hidden in the closet. She herself was a thunder ninja and your father, the Bradley's, and several other senior ninja students subdued him before he could escape. They stripped him of his powers, though he seems to have regained those, and turned him over to the authorities for murder. Obviously, some of the details were omitted to the police, but he was tried and convicted," the man explained.

"His name at the time was Garrick Wells, but five years after he went to prison, it appeared that he was killed in a prison riot. None of us had any idea that he had staged his death, obviously with outside help," the woman continued.

"What about the little boy? What happened to him after his mother died?" Leann asked. The two assistants exchanged a glance.

"What? What aren't you telling me?" she asked.

"The Bradley's adopted the little boy as their own," the woman replied. Leann's eyes widened.

"You mean..." she started to say. They nodded. She was stunned, but she pushed that aside for now. She had to get to San Angeles.

* * *

><p>"This is insane," Blake complained, as he climbed the steep trail up the mountain. He looked ahead. He didn't have much further to go, but the air was getting much thinner and harder to breathe. As if he needed more problems, he felt a raindrop on his head. The persistent gloomy clouds that seemed omnipresent around the mountain suddenly opened up and poured rain down on him. Lightning crackled wildly around the top in the near distance.<p>

"This is your fault, Hunter," he grumbled.

"I'm not sure how yet, bro, but I know this is your fault," he grumbled, as he continued on, soaked to the bone.

* * *

><p>Tori's arrows met their mark, sparks ensuing from the bounty hunter's chest. The blue wind ranger charged, but Velek recovered quickly and blocked Tori's blade with her own.<p>

"You're out of your league, little girl," she hissed, as she slashed her violently across the chest, before tossing her away. But Hunter was ready with an attack, as he summoned his powers and raised his thunder staff to the sky.

"Thunder Staff...full power!" he called, as he launched the attack. Velek was surprised by the strength of the attack and howled in pain, as she was electrocuted and fell to the ground in a smoking heap. She looked up and glared at the crimson ranger with her unnerving, transparent eyes, as she slowly got to her feet.

"You're going to pay for that," she growled, as she fired her blaster at him.

"Thunder shield!" he called, as he blocked her blasts and charged her. She smirked and her tentacles twitched, before launching at him and wrapped around his waist.

"Hunter!" Tori cried, as she watched the bounty hunter hurl him into a tree. She charged, but her other tentacle smacked Tori away and she went rolling to the ground.

"I'll deal with you soon enough, girl. First I'm going to kill your lover," she hissed, as she stalked toward Hunter, who was trying to painfully pick himself up off the ground after a hard impact with a tree. He didn't see her tentacle until it was too late and it wrapped around his neck. He used his hands to try and pry it off, as she lifted him into the air. His visor opened so he could try to get air.

"Humans...so fragile. Even the rangers. You love water so much, judging by your taste in females. It's only poetic that it be the means of your demise," she hissed, as she flung him over the cliff and into the valley below where the raging river awaited.

"NOOOO!" Tori screamed, as she started after him.

"Not so fast, mermaid," she taunted, as she grabbed the blue ranger's arm. But Tori deployed a ninja tactic, leaving Velek holding nothing but her ranger suit, while the real blue ranger dove over the cliff toward the river. Velek glared at her descending form, but then smirked.

"Well played, ninja," she said, as she took her grappling cable out and started repelling down into the steep, lush canyon.

"Let the hunt begin," she said.

* * *

><p>Once the other rangers pushed Lothor's forces back, they regrouped at the Hartford mansion, where Shane and Dustin gathered around the computer with Cam.<p>

"Anything?" Shane asked impatiently.

"There's a lot of interference in that canyon, not to mention a weak signal," Cam replied in frustration.

"We need to go look for them, especially since that bounty hunter went after them," Dustin said.

"If they're still alive," Andrew said gravely. Shane and Dustin glared at him.

"I'm sorry, but that was fifty foot drop at least. It's possible they didn't survive," he responded.

"No, they were morphed and Tori's one hell of a swimmer. She'll find Hunter and I'm sure they're just hiding to recover, before they take on a rematch with that orange skinned freak," Shane stated firmly.

"The power will protect them. We must have faith in both Hunter and Tori. Lothor is already amassing his forces in Blue Bay Harbor. He will attempt to open the gates of Yomi tomorrow at dusk when Mars eclipses the moon," Kanoi stated, as they saw a redheaded woman arrive, being led in by Spencer. Her eyes were puffy and red from crying.

"Leann?!" Cam exclaimed, as he flew out of his chair.

"Oh Cam..." she cried, as she collapsed in her husband's arms.

"What happened?" he asked, as he cradled her crying form.

"It's Daddy...he was killed..." she sobbed. Shock washed over the other ninja's and Kanoi place a hand on his chest, feeling a great loss of his good friend.

"How?" Cam asked.

"There was a man...I don't know who he was. But Daddy knew him and his assistants said he was once a thunder ninja. His name was Garrick Wells and years ago he was caught practicing the dark arts by his own wife, who was also a thunder ninja," Leann sobbed.

"Dad...do you know anything about this?" Cam asked. Kanoi nodded gravely.

"Yes Cameron, I know the story. Omino has told me just as I told him of Kiya's betrayal. Garrick Wells murdered his own wife that very evening while their young son was hidden by his mother in the closet," Kanoi stated.

"I'm pulling everything on him now," Billy said, as his hands flew over the keyboard.

"He was subdued by Omino, the Bradley's and several other senior students that night. They turned him over to the police for her murder. They had to lie about there being no crime scene, but there was no way they could jeopardize the secrecy of the Academy. But surprisingly, Garrick confessed and cut a deal to serve twenty years," Kanoi stated.

"Seems like a light sentence for murder," Jason said.

"We agree and his confession at the time baffled Omino and the others," Kanoi said.

"I've found him, but Garrick Wells has been dead for twenty years. According to official records, he was killed in prison five years after his sentencing," Billy said.

"That makes no sense," Rocky said.

"Actually, I think it makes more sense than we know," Billy replied, as they gestured to the screen. Jason scrutinized the picture of Garrick Wells and his eyes widened in recognition.

"No way..." he uttered.

"That's Jesse Zimmerman," Tommy said. Billy nodded.

"I don't understand...how is that possible?" Kim asked.

"I'm not sure yet. I'll have to do some digging, but I would say that he had help from the outside and his death was purposely staged. This might be our missing link," Billy replied.

"Missing link?" Rocky asked.

"Remember when we thought Goldar might have had human help? Or that there was more to that drug operation than just Palo Vasquez?" Billy asked.

"You think this guy is connected?" Jason asked.

"There's no way to be sure yet...but a lot of things would make more sense if he was," Billy said, as he went to work. He suddenly stopped and looked at Kanoi.

"The woman he murdered, his wife, was named Heather Bradley-Wells?" Billy asked in disbelief. All attention turned to Kanoi.

"Yes...she was James Bradley's twin sister," Kanoi stated.

"James Bradley...as in Hunter and Blake's adoptive father?" Shane asked. Leann nodded.

"It's true...my father's assistants told me so," Leann replied.

"Then the little boy in the closet that night..." Adam uttered. Kanoi nodded.

"Yes...the little boy in the closet that night was Hunter. After his sister's murder, James and his wife Elizabeth took custody of their nephew and adopted him as their own," Kanoi revealed.

"Whoa...heavy stuff dude," Dustin stated.

"And Hunter knows none of this?" Trini asked. Kanoi shook his head.

"Hunter does not remember that terrible night. He was barely two and his adoptive parents thought it was best that he did not know," Kanoi stated.

"Well, he'll have to know now. He won't take his Sensei's death lightly and he'll want to go after the man that did it...we all do," Cam said, as he held his wife tightly.

"In the meantime, we need some kind of game plan," Trini said.

"She's right. In less twenty-four hours, Lothor is going to open the gates of Yomi and unleash an army of evil on the Earth," Adam said.

"And we're missing the two people that can seal up the gate if he does," Kira mentioned.

"We have to hope they're okay and that they'll find a way to get to Blue Bay Harbor," Conner said. Jason nodded.

"He's right. We can't spare any rangers to go look for them if he does open those gates," Jason said, as Shane and Dustin looked appalled.

"Sorry guys, but you know he's right," Tommy said. They nodded reluctantly. If Hunter and Tori could, they would join them in the battle as soon as they could.

"For now, we need to try and come up with some sort of strategy," Jason said, as they began discussing the upcoming battle.

* * *

><p>Tori surfaced after a third dive, pulling Hunter to the surface. His morph had taken the brunt of the impact, before dissolving when he fell unconscious and he had a nasty gash on his forehead where it looked like a rock had scraped him. Her visor opened and she sucked fresh air into her lungs, before slowly fighting the current toward the river bank.<p>

"Ugh...you're heavy, thunder boy," she grumbled, as she splashed him in the face with water. He groaned.

"Babe...wake up..." she pleaded.

"This looks bad..." he groaned, as he started kicking his legs to help. A few miles later down the river, they finally were able to reach the bank. Tori canceled her morph, as they collapsed to the ground, dripping wet and panting.

"That cut looks bad," Tori mentioned, as she looked at it.

"It's worse than it looks, I'm sure. I'm not dizzy or anything so I don't think I have a concussion," he replied. She looked unconvinced.

"I'm fine Tor...thanks to you," he reminded. She smiled.

"I'm sure she's coming after us though. We need to find somewhere safe to regroup before we take her on again," she replied. He nodded.

"Well, this is a valley inside a canyon, so I'm sure there has to be some caves around here, probably on the outskirts," he suggested. She nodded in agreement, as

they started off, hand in hand, using their ninja stealth to conceal their path.

* * *

><p>Blake ducked a lightning bolt and dived behind a rock. He was finally at the top and the lightning was going wild as a result of his proximity.<p>

"This is bat shit crazy," Blake cursed, but he knew what he needed to do. His hand sparked with navy thunder energy and he drew the energy around the prism to his hand. The prism glowed and reacted, before flying into the navy ranger's hand. The volatile lightning subsided and the clouds started rolling away.

"Well, now I just need to get home in record time," Blake said, as he touched the prism to his old morpher. It glowed with new light.

"Thunder Storm, Ranger Form!" he called, as his armor molded around his body and he disappeared in a navy streak.

* * *

><p>By the time they reached the outskirts, it had already been dark for hours. The temperature had also dropped significantly, but they finally found a suitable cave to camp in for the night. Tori shivered, as they finally found a suitable cave.<p>

"It's so cold..." she chattered.

"That's the desert at night for you," he said, as they huddled together. Fortunately, their clothes were mostly dry by now so they wouldn't freeze.

"We need to make a fire," he said. Gathering the wood was the hardest part, but once they had a pile, they sat on the cave floor side by side.

"Ready?" he asked. She nodded. Crimson thunder sizzled in his hand and an orb of water formed in hers. They slowly fused their power and an amethyst glow filled the cave. The violet hued fire burned brightly between them and they lit the wood on fire. They shared a smile.

"It's getting easier," she mentioned. He smiled.

"I suppose that's good, because we have to use this very fire to keep the gates of some monstrous, demonic hell sealed in less than twenty-four hours," he replied. She squeezed his hand.

"Don't tell me you're getting worried, thunder boy," she said. He responded by kissing her passionately.

"Not a chance. The fact that more and more people are trying to keep us apart and destroy us just makes me more determined that our love is meant to be. No bounty hunter, I don't care how good she is supposed to be, is going to kill us," he replied, as he kissed her again.

"I'll take first watch," he said.

"Are you sure?" she asked. He nodded.

"I'll wake you in a few hours," he replied, as she laid down with her head in his lap. She was asleep within in minutes, while he remained acutely aware of their surroundings.

* * *

><p><em>The next morning...<em>

Cam coughed and shook his head as another blanket of rocky dust smacked him in the face. After days of searching, the computer had finally picked up an energy signature similar to his Samurai amulet popped up inside an ancient Mayan Temple in Guatemala. Sneaking passed security at the Pyramid grounds at the archeological wonder that was the ancient city of Tikal had been fairly easy with his ninja streak. But he was confused once he got inside. Surely something like what he was looking for would have been discovered in an archeological hot spot like this. But his scanner was reading the energy as strong as ever. And if it were to be accurate, he was supposedly standing directly on it. But all he saw in front of him was a wall with ancient Mayan hieroglyphs.

"Great...now what?" Cam wondered. But he stopped when to took another glace at the wall. The symbols caught his attention. He stepped closer and touched the square in the upper right corner. It was Shane's symbol of air...only upside down.

"Surely...it's not that simple..." cam wondered, as he pressed on the stone. It pushed in and he turned it right side up. Still nothing happened.

"Okay...that's air and there's earth," he said, as he pressed on the earth symbol, turning it right side up as well. In the two parallel corners, he saw the upside down symbols representing crimson and navy thunder. He pressed on each, turning them right side up. Finally, in the center between the thunder symbols was the water symbol. Taking a deep breath, he turned the final symbol on it's head, causing the wall to immediately glow with the respective colors. He stood back and watched in complete awe, as a greenish/white star appeared in the center of it all. A beam of light shot out passed Cam and to what looked like was once used as a sacrificial altar. The altar slid aside and once the blinding light subsided, it revealed a secret set of stairs descending into the underground. Cam's eyes were wide with wonder, as he traipsed down the steps.

"Man...Hartford would be having a fit right now if he saw this," Cam commented, as he thought of the explorer. Cam came to the bottom of the stairs and into a room where his symbol was emblazoned on one wall with an ornate chest on the floor. It was pure gold and encrusted with precious emeralds and jade stones. His amulet glowed brightly the closer he got to it. He opened it and inside lay the green sky or star prism. He picked it up, mesmerized by its brilliance.

"Well...thank for finding my prism, nephew..." Lothor hissed, as he suddenly appeared.

"It's not yours and I'm not your nephew," Cam retorted. Lothor blasted him with dark energy and the prism flew out of his hand, rolling toward Lothor. But Cam leapt into the air and kicked him away from it, before diving for the trinket. Lothor tackled him to the ground and tried to pry Cam's hand open. But the prism, in its rightful hands, helped him and green energy blew Lothor back. His amulet absorbed the prism and enlarged into his morpher.

"Samurai Storm...Ranger Form, ha!" Cam called, as his ranger armor molded around his body once again. Lothor growled angrily.

"You may have the prism, but it won't matter at dusk!" Lothor threatened, as he disappeared.

"_Cam...do you read?"_ Billy called through his communicator.

"Yeah, I got the prism. What's going on?" he asked.

"_Blue Bay Harbor is under attack. I think Lothor is trying to wear us down before he opens the gates," _Billy replied.

"I'm teleporting out now," Cam replied. He wanted more time to explore this Temple, but it would have to wait until some other time. He disappeared in a streak of green teleportation.

* * *

><p>"Are you sure this is the spot?" Taylor asked impatiently, as she got out of the black suburban. Wes, Eric, and Jen got out too and the Wild Force rangers got out of the Jeep next to them.<p>

"These are the coordinates we got from Billy," Eric replied.

"Maybe he was wrong. There's nothing here," she complained. Eric rolled his eyes.

"Do you ever open your mouth without complaints coming out?" he asked. Jen and Wes rolled their eyes.

"Here we go," Jen mumbled.

"Me? You're always bitching about something too," Taylor retorted.

"I do not bitch," Eric refuted. Wes stepped in before they could turn this into an all out war.

"Billy is rarely wrong, so I'm sure this is it. I swear, you two are so annoying. You're either fighting or fu..." But Jen cut him off by smacking his arm. Cole chuckled, as he got where Wes was going.

"Wes," she scolded.

"It's true," Wes said, earning glares from the tumultuous pair.

"Besides, I think this is the place," Alyssa intervened, as she pointed to the approaching Hummer.

Carter and the rest of Lightspeed had also arrived, with Angela Fairweather-Rawlins and Captain Mitchell in tow.

"Place looks pretty deserted," Joel mentioned, as he hopped out and opened the door for his wife and they looked around at the seemingly normal grassy knoll. Angela took out a device and started gathering readings from their surroundings.

"What can you tell?" Joel asked her. She looked up at him and then the rest of them with a grave expression.

"These readings are off the charts," she uttered.

"Off what chart?" Max asked.

"Off the evil energy chart...it's over three times as high as it was the day Queen Bansheera opened the underworld," she informed them. They were all silent.

"But...nothing has even happened yet," Wes said.

"Exactly. The others better get here soon, especially the two you said can keep this thing closed," Angela replied. They all shared a meaningful look until they were suddenly pelted by laser blasts. They managed to pick themselves up and came face to face with several monsters.

"Greetings rangers, I am Thrax. If you think you're going to stop us from opening the gates, then you're sadly mistaken," Thrax hissed. Flurious summoned the Chillers and Thrax called forth the Tengus.

"Let's ranger up," Wes suggested.

"Ready!" Carter called.

"Lightspeed Rescue!"

"Titanium Power!"

"Time for Time Force!"

"Quantum Power!"

"Wild Access!"

The rangers charged the minions with full force.

* * *

><p>After they awoke that morning, they found the nearest stream to wash up, where Tori insisted on cleaning the gash on his head again. While he found some fruit, she used her water powers to catch some fish. After returning to the cave and eating, they began the task of laying out a strategy to deal with the woman hunting them.<p>

"Well, we know that she is able to take on highly trained ninjas, so I think distracting her with our elements might throw her off her game," Tori suggested.

"I agree, but you have to admit she got the drop on us last time. We'll be ready for her this time and I doubt she can take us on," he replied. She gave him a look.

"Maybe, but we can't get cocky," she warned. He smirked.

"I'm not being cocky. We're just bad asses, plain and simple," he replied. She shook her head in amusement.

"You have such an ego," she teased.

"I prefer the term bad-assery," he retorted.

"Bad-assery is not a word," she countered playfully.

"It should be," he re-countered, before popping another berry into his mouth. She shook her head again.

"Fine, but we need to make quick work of her. We only have a few hours till dusk and we need to conserve as much energy as possible," she stated.

"Once we get out of this canyon, we can take the glider cycle back to Blue Bay. It's fast and won't drain us like ninja streak. But first, I think we need to make sure she can't use her freaky tentacles. From what I experienced, they might as well be like mechanical extensions in terms of strength. I think that's part of why she's notorious. She can snap body parts like nothing with them," he said. She nodded, eying the bruising that was still present around his neck from those very tentacles," he suggested. They heard a rustling outside the cave and quickly quieted, before peering out. They saw her in the near distance and knew the time had come for a rematch...


	7. Consuming Fire

Disclaimer: I don't own Power Rangers. If I did...well, it wouldn't be for kids. :)

AN: Thanks for all the great reviews! Enjoy this chapter.

During Once a Ranger, an evil from the past rises to join Thrax, causing the Sentinel Knight to call upon seven more rangers from the past to join Adam, Tori, Kira, Xander, and Bridge. Can a team of twelve past rangers handle the additional threats and restore power to the morphing grid for Operation Overdrive?

Pairings: Hunter/Tori, Adam/Tanya, Tommy/Kim, Billy/Kat, Conner/Kira and more.

Butterflies and Hurricanes

A Once a Ranger AU

Part 7

"_Consuming Fire"_

Zack sighed, as his old morpher was placed in his hand.

"Man, are you sure about this?" he asked. Adam nodded.

"We need every ranger we can get so it only makes sense that I use my zeo crystal and you take that Mastodon coin," Adam replied. Zack smirked.

"I honestly never thought I'd be suiting up again," Zack said. Adam chuckled.

"I wish I could say the same, but I always had trouble walking away from it. I don't know if I'm addicted to the adrenaline or maybe I just like spandex," Adam joked. Zack laughed.

"Maybe, but not as much as Tommy. No one loves the spandex like Tommy," Zack joked.

"I heard that," Tommy chimed in.

"And it's not really spandex. Our suits are made of synthetic material that the morphing grid molds around our bodies like armor," Billy added.

"Still looks like spandex and no one has an addiction to it like Rainbow ranger here," Jason teased. Tommy sighed. The alert alarm interrupted any further banter.

"Looks like you'll all be suiting back up sooner than we thought," Andrew informed.

"That's Blue Bay Harbor, near the Abyss' opening," Shane confirmed.

"Already three teams on sight and they're overwhelmed. Lothor's not playing around," Tanya said.

"Guess going after that scumbag Zimmerman will have to wait. I just know he has a connection to Goldar," Jason lamented. Tommy patted him on the shoulder.

"He'll have to wait, but we'll get him too," Tommy said.

"Not to mention, we still have to break it to Hunter that said scum is his bio-daddy," Rocky reminded.

"Pft...Hunter is no more related to Zimmerman than I am to Lothor. Blood isn't everything," Cam chimed in.

"Well said Cameron," Kanoi echoed.

"Excuse me, I believe we have another one to add to the mix," Spencer announced, as he led Blake in.

"Dude!" Dustin called, as they shook hands.

"Any word yet from my bro and Tori?" he asked. Shane shook his head.

"Let's just hope Hunter and Tori show up at the Abyss to close the gates if he opens them, cause if they don't, we're all screwed," Dustin said.

"They'll show. You know nothing can keep those two down," Blake replied. With that, all the teams teleported out.

* * *

><p>Velek's tentacles twitched, as she felt a strong breeze gush by her. And she knew it wasn't a natural wind. She saw a glimpse of aqua and crimson, as they used their ninja powers to dash around her, faster than the naked eye could see.<p>

"Enough of your ninja tricks!" she hissed. Tori stopped and water swirled around her hands, as she sent a torrent at the bounty hunter. Velek growled angrily, as she became drenched. Hunter stopped and crimson thunder sizzled in his hand, before shooting out at her. She cried out in pain and then growled, as she picked herself up off the ground.

"You two aren't the only ones with powers," she growled, as her curved blade glowed with orange energy. She released it and the ground erupted violently beneath them, tossing them back in a painful heap.

"I think we should ranger up," Tori suggested.

"Definitely," he agreed, as they took stance.

"Ninja Storm!"

"Thunder Storm!"

"Ranger Form, Ha!"

Hunter and Tori drew their new weapons and charged her.

"This is Valerie Nelson for Channel Six news. I'm on the scene here in Blue Bay Harbor where for the first time in four years, our city is under attack. Several teams of power rangers have appeared to combat this threat. But once again, we are faced with a dilemma about our heroes. Do they do more harm than good? Some have long suggested that the reason Earth is always under attack is because of the Power Rangers," Valerie reported.

"Only an idiot would believe that...or a desperate reporter trying to make a name for herself," a voice said. Valerie glared at the intruder.

"Cut!" she called to her cameraman.

"Well, well, if it isn't Cassidy Cornell and her boy toy here to lick up my leftovers. I've already got this covered, but I think there's a community bake sale going on down the road. That's probably more your speed. Leave the hard hitting reporting to someone who knows what they're doing," Valerie hissed.

"The bake sale's probably more your speed, Nelson, considering you don't know half as much ranger history as we do," Devin shot back, as he got the camera ready.

"Step aside and I'll show you how to report the real truth," Cassidy jeered, as she got ready to for her report, which would paint the rangers as the heroes they were.

* * *

><p>People scampered away from the monster that was currently terrorizing downtown Blue Bay Harbor. Some stood frozen literally victims of this monster's power over ice. Overdrive fought their current adversaries, foot soldiers, and were slowly being overwhelmed by the number of Chillers.<p>

"That's right, puny humans...run..." Flurious hissed. Mack charged him and the icy foe blocked him with his staff.

"Their will be no victory for you today, red ranger," Flurious sneered, as he smacked him away and fired icy lasers at all of them, blowing them back with violent force.

"I've waited months to do this," Flurious growled, as he held his sharp blade to Mack, preparing to strike a lethal blow. But he was suddenly pelted with lasers and blown back. From the smoke, their saviors emerged in a confident stride holstering their blade blasters.

"More rangers won't make a difference," Flurious hissed.

"You wish, ice breath. We've kicked evil asses way badder than yours," Mastodon ranger spat.

"They're definitely getting uglier, I think," Saber-toothed Tiger ranger added.

"I know...look at that hair. You should fire your stylist," Pterodactyl ranger quipped.

"Fools...if these rangers can't stop me than what makes you think you'll do any better?" Flurious taunted.

"They're obviously not getting any smarter either," Triceratops ranger added.

"So you say, but correct me if I'm wrong, but this is the team that couldn't even destroy Lord Zedd," Flurious goaded.

"You're in for one hell of a fall if you think you're in the same league as Zedd was," Dragon ranger retorted.

"We handed Zedd's ass to him plenty of times, so you'll be no different," Tyrannosaurs ranger shouted.

"If he was anything like his idiot son, then I assure you that I'll have no trouble taking on some over the hill rangers," Flurious goaded.

"Oh he did not just call us old," Kim hissed.

"That's it, let's go all 1993 on his ass and show him how to get his ass handed to him, old school style," Zack seethed, as he cracked his knuckles. Flurious rolled his eyes.

"I'm so scared," Flurious stated.

"You should be freak. You're about to find out why we were Earth's first rangers!" Jason shouted, as he drew his power sword.

"Then by all means, educate me," Flurious taunted.

"Step back rookies and we'll show you how it's done," Jason said, as he charged the monster.

"Seriously, does he have to call us rookies?" Will asked, annoyed.

"Probably not, but you're about to see why he can get away with it," Zack chimed in. Jason parried each strike Flurious attempted and finally disarmed him, tossing his weapon away, leaving Flurious shadowboxing against the red ranger's kicks and punches.

"Such a show off," Tommy teased, as Jason stepped back letting the weary and beaten villain attempt to recover for a moment.

"Your turn," Jason said. Tommy stepped up and Flurious charged at him.

"They never learn," Tommy mumbled, as he charged, blitzing the icy villain with a serious of kicks. Flurious fired an ice abeam, but the Dragon shield protected him and sent the attack right back in his face.

"You'll pay...you'll all pay!" Flurious growled, as he showered them with icy spikes. Sparks ensued and both teams took damage.

"I will not be a laughing stock any longer! I will defeat you and then that clown Lothor will pay for stealing the jewels of the Corona Aurora! I will wear the crown!" he ranted.

"Well, he's snapped," Billy joked.

"Yeah, throwing a hissy fit cause someone stole his tiara," Zack joked.

"Let's bring him down," Jason said.

"He's nearly beaten. Shouldn't we let Overdrive take him down. He is their villain," Trini reminded.

"I just got my powers back and you're telling me I can't blow up the monsters?" Jason asked.

"There will be plenty of monsters to blow up," Trini replied.

"Fine...he's all yours rookies," Jason said, as Overdrive attacked. But Flurious wasn't going down easily and matched them blow for blow.

"Don't these rookies train?" Jason complained.

"Be nice," Trini chided.

"Yeah, they're not martial artists, like you and Tommy," Kim reminded.

"Neither was I," Billy countered.

"Okay fine, but not everyone is super cop and Dr. of everything," Kim retorted playfully.

"Let's help 'em out," Zack said.

"Okay, let's bring 'em together and trash him, old school style," Jason said. Zack cocked his power axed.

"I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss this," Zack said.

"You'll need this," Kim said, as she joined her bow.

"And these," Trini added, as she attached her daggers.

"Ah...memories," Billy mused, as he connected his lance ends.

"Time to make popsicles out of this dude," Jason shouted.

"The younger rangers cleared the way, as Tommy charged, slashing him violently with the dragon dagger. This tossed him into their line of fire.

"FIRE!" they shouted, as their weapon's combined power shot out and Flurious exploded in a brilliant display of fire. But Lothor's cackle interrupted their victory.

"Thank you rangers...for giving the abyss the evil energy I need," Lothor said, as he used the dark prism to absorb Flurious' evil essence, before promptly disappearing.

"Damn him!" Zack cursed.

"Relax...Lothor would have destroyed Flurious for his energy anyway," Jason reasoned.

"What now?" Dax asked.

"We get to the abyss and try to stop him," Jason said.

"And if we can't?" Ronny asked.

"Then we hold off whatever comes out of that hole until Hunter and Tori can get there to close it up," Billy replied.

* * *

><p>Ninja sword and thunder staff slammed against the cruel bow curved blade of the bounty huntress hired to kill them. She was formidable, but they were fluid and deadly as a team, moving in sync, as they dueled her. A challenge, something she rarely found, thrilled Velek. This pair was unique..but dangerous. And she had been paid to eliminate them. Her race found sport in fighting and hunting challenging beings like this. If she had not been paid to kill them immediately, she would have sought to capture them and take them back to her home world where competitors of her race would have taken great pleasure in hunting them for sport.<p>

The sport was a favorite pastime for her people. It seemed barbaric of course to other worlds and completely illegal on most planets. But it wasn't meant to be. She had been paid to kill them. She thought it was a terrible waste, but money talked and dictated that they had to die today.

"It's a pity we can't prolong this little battle. I love a good hunt, especially against prey as skilled as you and your mermaid," she hissed, as she parried Hunter's slash, which crackled with crimson thunder.

"A little overconfident, don't you think?" Tori spat, as she struck with her sword. Velek smirked.

"I said you were a challenge, but nothing I can't handle," she hissed.

"Handle this!" Hunter spat, as he tossed several thunder clouds of crackling energy at her. She cried out in pain, as he electrocuted her.

"Go back to wherever you came from. We're done playing with you," he spat.

"That's what you think, thunder brat," she growled, as she pressed a button on her utility belt. A long, canon-like weapon appeared in her hands and it was attached to an energy pack that appeared on her back. She fired a ball of gold energy from it and Hunter's thunder shield crackled to life in front of him. But to his and Tori's horror, the energy slammed through his shield like it was nothing and hit him, blowing him back hard into a tree.

"Hunter!" she cried. Thankfully his armor held and only his visor opened, as he attempted to recover from the blast.

"Your turn to fry, mermaid," Velek goaded. Tori fired a water beam to counter, but the bounty huntress' attack burrowed right through hers. She was hit and cried out, as she tumbled to the ground, rolling right next to Hunter.

"Say goodbye lovers," she hissed, before firing a very large blast at the pair.

"Hunter..." she uttered in despair. He realized, as hard as they tried, that they couldn't move in time, not even with ninja streak.

"I love you Tori," he choked out, as he reached for her. A tear slipped down her cheek, as their eyes met through their open visors. Her hand grasped his and that's when they realized they wouldn't be the ones to die today. The moment their hands touched, an amethyst barrier exploded around them, alive with crackling energy. They looked at each other in amazement and Velek cursed them in disbelief. Their prisms glowed brightly with almost blinding crimson and aqua blue light. Their morphers glowed in response and their respective symbols changed to one that was an amethyst colored symbol combination of their respective ones.

"A power up?" he asked in awe.

"Hurricane Form," she uttered.

"And Amethyst storm," he added. They saw their enemy charging her weapon for another blast and nodded to each other, as their visors closed.

"Ninja Storm!" she called.

"Thunder Storm!" he called.

"Hurricane Form!" they called together, as they activated their new power up. Their suits didn't change much, except they now had a hardened, more armored appearance. Blue ribbons of power pulsated from her armor, while crackling crimson lightning around him gave his armor an electric purpose. Their respective symbols on their chests glowed metallic gold now and the new form came with new weapons too. In Tori's hand, a golden trident as tall as her appeared in her hand. In Hunter's hand, a golden hammer appeared, also crackling with crimson lightning.

"Shiny new costumes won't save you...take this!" Velek screamed, as she launched her large sphere of energy. Tori tapped the hilt of her trident on the ground and a wave of water crashed down on the energy sphere, consuming it fully.

"What..." Velek uttered in disbelief. Hunter wasted no time and raised his hammer to the sky, charging the weapon with lightning he seemingly called out of nowhere. He threw the crackling weapon and it slammed into the bounty huntress, sending her barreling into a tree. Once the smoke cleared, Hunter called the hammer back to his hand and Velek's injuries were apparent.

"Go back to wherever it is you came from," Tori commanded.

"If you think I'm defeated, little girl..." she hissed, but Hunter cut her off in mid sentence.

"You are defeated. We're giving you the chance to leave peacefully with your life. If you force us to...we'll finish you," he threatened.

"Oh that's it. I'm going to make a terrible mess of your boy toy, blue ranger, but don't worry, because you'll be next," she hissed.

"Well...we tried," Tori said.

"It's her or us," he added.

"I choose us," she said, as she jammed the forked end of her trident into the ground, causing it to quake violently under Velek. Water torrents sprayed up around her.

"A little water won't stop my attack!" she screamed as her energy sphere continued to grow. Hunter began spinning his hammer rapidly, as crimson thunder energy gathered in it. When he was sure it was ready, he hit the ground with it, sending all the built up energy at her. Velek's eyes widened in horror, as she realized her fate and let at a terrible scream, as their combined amethyst energy and her own consumed her.

"Your treachery will not go unpunished, ranger scum!" she screamed in agony for a moment, before a brilliant explosion silenced her and amethyst fire consumed her completely. Hunter and Tori let out a sigh of relief and canceled their morph. He scooped her up excitedly and she hugged him tightly in return, as he spun her around.

"That was close, thunder boy," she whispered. He pulled back and kissed her passionately.

"The power is definitely on our side. She probably killed hundreds of beings that didn't deserve to die...so she got what she deserved," he said. She nodded.

"Lothor's next. If he's opened the gates..." she started to say.

"We'll stop him," he assured her. She nodded.

"We better hurry then," she replied, as they activated their morphers again and the crimson rider appeared at Hunter's call. Tori held onto him, as he punched the throttle and they sped off in a crimson streak.

* * *

><p>Explosions rocked the Blue Bay countryside, as Lothor's forces battle the rangers with dark ninja magic. Lothor himself wielded the dark prism, making it near impossible to get near him.<p>

"Battle Blast!" Conner shouted, as he fired the blast from his battlizer canons. But Lothor cackled with evil glee, as a dark beam of energy from the prism erupted and met Conner's blast head on. The red Tyranno ranger was blasted out of the air and landed painfully on the ground.

"I get to win this time, fools," he hissed.

"We'll see about that creep!" Jason yelled, as the original six descended upon him. Lothor flipped to evade Zack's high kick and blocked Billy and Kim, blasting them away. He batted Trini away next and took on double team from Tommy and Jason. But not even the seasoned martial artists could combat his dark magic.

"How does it feel to lose, rangers?" he taunted.

"You would know, freak," Rocky said, as he was blasted with twin streams of blue energy. Rocky, Justin, Adam, and Tanya jumped out of Storm Blaster, while T.J. and Kat joined them from Red Lightning. The three Zeos and three Turbos charged him together.

Lothor angrily batted Kat and Tanya away, as the two blue's charged next, double teaming him with their best kicks and punches. Dark energy hit Justin first, sending him rolling away, while Rocky fired lasers at him. But Lothor deflected them harmlessly with the palm of his hand and blasted him back. Adam and T.J. charged next.

"Veteran rangers or not, you young fools will not defeat me this time!" Lothor hissed, as he swiped them both across their chests with the dark sword provided to him by his powers. Sparks ensued, as they were thrown back hard. The Space rangers, minus T.J., and the Galaxy rangers charged next, having just arrived on Earth to help with the crisis. But even Andros' spiral saber couldn't negate the prism's evil energy. The inky blackness had created an aura of dark power around Lothor and they observed that it was slowly changing him, as Mars inched closer in line with the moon. The prism burned itself into Lothor's chest, causing him momentary agony, which was quickly replaced with an evil cackle. His voice now was deeper, gravely now, and as sinister as anything they had ever heard.

"The prism is forever a part of me and it will mean your destruction!" Lothor shouted, as an inhuman scream erupted from his throat. Black flames seemed to consume him, sharp spikes protruded from his back and hand hands now. Gone was any trace of human skin and was now replaced by leathery, charred skin, splotched with angry red patches and he laughed maniacally once again.

"What...the hell is he?" Zhane wondered in disbelief.

"I don't know, but it gets worse if he opens that abyss," Mike said, as he and the Galaxy rangers charged. They all brought their sabers down on him, but we're easily countered and thrown back.

"The time has finally come! My time to reign is here!" Lothor screamed, as a column of dark energy erupted from the prism and combined with the Gama rays that now bathed the planet in a bloody glow. The bean shot into the ground and it quaked violently.

"He's doing it! He's opening the abyss again!" Dustin cried.

"Only it's a hundred times worse time time!" Cam shouted.

"That's right nephew...and no one can stop me this time!" Lothor cackled.

"Doesn't mean we won't try!" Shane shouted, as red wind energy gathered around him. Dustin joined him and summoned an earth beam, as he glowed with yellow energy. Cam and Blake called on the powers of the green and navy prisms, the four attacks slamming into Lothor's dark energy beam. His energy was intensified by the dark beings seeping from the opening and he blasted them back. They could only watch as adversaries and monsters from the past emerged from the abyss.

"Revenge shall be mine, rangers," the Master growled, as he set his sights on Mystic Force.

"Mine as well," Mesagog, in his final form, hissed at the Dino Thunder rangers.

"Orgs shall walk the Earth again once I succeed in your elimination," Master Org said. Lightspeed was instantly targeted by the emerging demons and Trakeena charged the Galaxy rangers. Darkonda and Ecliptor made a direct line for Andros and Zhane, while Goldar and Scorpina, in their original forms, along with Rito, charged at the originals. Many other monsters, Generals, and foot soldiers joined the charge, as rangers and alien monsters converged in a fierce battle. But Jason knew their situation was grave, as he saw minions continue to poor from the abyss opening and he saw that Shane knew it too.

"Come on guys...we need you..." Shane said gravely.

* * *

><p>Tori gazed up at the red sky, as she held on tightly to Hunter, who broke speed records to get them back to Blue Bay Harbor. People were awed and startled in their cars, as the crimson blur blew past them. Even a few cops started to give chase, but simply couldn't keep up. They knew it had already happened. Lothor had opened the abyss again, this time on a scale at least ten times worse than the first time, and they were the only ones that could seal a virtual gateway to hell that was pouring evil upon the Earth right now. There was no time to lose...<p> 


	8. Supermassive Black Hole

AN: Thanks for all the great review! Enjoy this chapter.

During Once a Ranger, an evil from the past rises to join Thrax, causing the Sentinel Knight to call upon seven more rangers from the past to join Adam, Tori, Kira, Xander, and Bridge. Can a team of twelve past rangers handle the additional threats and restore power to the morphing grid for Operation Overdrive?

Pairings: Hunter/Tori, Adam/Tanya, Tommy/Kim, Billy/Kat, Jason/Trini Conner/Kira and more.

Butterflies and Hurricanes

A Once a Ranger AU

Part 8

"_Supermassive Black Hole"_

As Hunter sped down the highway at what she was certain was deadly speed, she noticed the sky turn red and start to churn with angry, dark clouds.

"The sky looks like blood..." she said to him through their helmet microphones.

"He's opened the gates already...but we're almost there. They just have to hold on a little longer," Hunter replied. She tightened her hold around his waist, as he pushed them to even higher speeds.

* * *

><p>Zack landed painfully on his back and Billy helped him up.<p>

"I'll have my revenge this time, rangers," Goldar growled, as he stalked toward the original team, which included the Zeo and Turbo members as well, with Baboo, Squat, and Rito in tow.

"Oh look, it's Goldilocks and the three dumb-asses," Rocky quipped.

"Good one, I'd be lying if I said I didn't miss your witty retorts, rangers," Goldar hissed.

"Shove it Goldar and save yourself the embarrassment of getting your ass handed to you. Just crawl back into the hole you came out of," Tommy snapped. Rito chuckled.

"Talk about embarrassment. The fierce Tommy Oliver is now teaching stupid teenaged brats like he once was. Just can't let go of the glory days can you, Dr. O?" Scorpina hissed, as she appeared next to Rito, who laughed.

"Can't make up your mind what color you want to be either," Rito joked.

"Are we gonna talk or fight?" Adam snapped.

"Oh we're gonna fight," Rito growled and Zack charged first, attempting to bring his power axe down on Goldar. But the demonized being simply stopped his weapon and sparks spewed from Zack's chest, as he went falling hard to the ground. Tommy and Jason, followed by Rocky, Billy, and Adam charged next, only be blasted away by the three now powerhouses, while Squatt and Baboo still cowered.

"Man...I don't remember them being this strong," Rocky groaned, as he picked himself up off the ground. Kim, Trini, Kat, and Tanya attacked next and fared no better, as the villains from their past relished their revenge.

"They probably weren't, but with the abyss open, it allows them to draw from an unending well of dark energy," Cam explained.

"Hunter and Tori really need to get here to close it up then," Kim commented.

"I'd rather most of these assholes be in there when they do though," Jason said.

"Agreed," Shane said.

"Any ideas, big red?" Shane asked the original leader. Jason sighed, as all attention was on him.

"I wish I knew, other than we just have to keep fighting until they get here," Jason said, as he looked around, seeing that no team was fairing well.

"You got anything Billy?" he asked. Billy rolled his eyes beneath his helmet.

"This isn't something I can fix with a device or gizmo. But I would say those who have battlizers should use them," Billy said, as they ducked more laser fire. Dustin collapsed next to Shane, holding his shoulder.

"Dude...what happened?" Shane asked.

"Lothor tweaked my shoulder when he yanked me from the dirt," Dustin cried. Trini knelt beside him and without warning, she popped his shoulder back into place.

"Holy shi...arrrggghhh..." Dustin screamed, muffling the rest of his swearing through clenched teeth.

"Sorry," she apologized.

"S'okay, it already feels better," he replied in relief.

"Just give it up, has been rangers," Rito sneered.

"I'll show you has been, bone bag!" Conner snapped, as he activated his battlizer.

"Please...neat toy kid, but you can't go toe to toe with me," Rito sneered, as he activated his jet pack and readied his canon. Conner powered up his canon and his blast nullified Rito's, surprising the skeletal mutant. In true cowardice, he grabbed Squat and Baboo and threw them in the path of the blast. The misguided, cowardly henchmen were instantly incinerated.

"Cowardly as usual, Rito," Tommy growled. The skeleton shrugged nonchalantly.

"I like to call it self preservation at its finest," Rito sneered.

"Nice blast, kid. Those pathetic Overdrive rookies could learn from all of you," Rito jabbed.

"Yeah, at least you still fight us one on one, instead of hiding behind magic and dorky capes!" Scorpina hissed, as she tossed a defeated Nick and Madison away.

"That's it, we'll show you what rookies can do!" Will yelled angrily, as he and the other Overdrives charged.

"Guys...wait!" Adam pleaded, knowing Rito was baiting them. Rito cackled and fired his fire canon. His flamethrower overpowered their attacks and violent sparks ensued, as the whole team was blown back several feet, their suits singed with fire damage. Rito cackled evilly and positions his sword to skewer Mack.

"Damn it..." Jason growled, as he drew his sword and started toward them. But Goldar parried his blade.

"You and I have unfinished business, red ranger," Goldar stated. Adam and Rocky charged Rito in Jason's place, as his duel with Goldar began.

* * *

><p>Meanwhile, Scorpina blasted Conner out of the sky and took on Tommy, Zack, Kat, Billy, and Tanya with a hoard a demonized putties. Shane, Dustin, Blake, and Cam fought Lothor, his hoard of dark ninjas, and demonized Kelzacks, while the other teams continued to fight respective evils from their pasts. And things were slowly worsening for the rangers.<p>

"We will win this time rangers!" Lothor declared, as Shane and Dustin were blasted point blank with the dark prism energy. Their own prisms protected them from serious injury, but they and everyone else were slowly tiring while the abyss fed their enemies endless evil energy. Overdrive's morphs were the first to fail and the Zeo/Turbo team tried to block them from more attacks. But they were losing ground fast.

"Get out of here!" Adam screamed at them, as he tried to keep Rito at bay. But Rito sword came down and slashed him violently across the chest. Adam fell to his knees and then face down. His morph failed.

"ADAM!" Tanya screamed. Rocky kicked Rito away and dragged his best friend out of the line of fire. Scorpina's golden energy blasted the rest of the Mighty Morphin, Zeo, and Turbo teams. Darkonda was relentless against the Space team and their morph had already failed twice. Trakeena, in her final form, had the Galaxy rangers struggling to even get back up. Queen Bansheera and her demons were overwhelming Lightspeed. The twisted, demonic Frax was causing more trouble for the three present members of Time Force than they ever thought possible. Master Org's cruel torture of Wild Force caused pause for even some of the other villains, though Mesagog was not one of them, as he equally enjoyed inflicting his wrath upon the Dino Thunder team. And the Master was matching Mystic Force's magic and slowly turning the tides against them. Goldar was relentless in his pursuit to end his first true nemesis, the first red ranger of Earth. The hulking Chimerian warrior swept the red ranger's feet out from under him and pointed his sword at the prone ranger.

"My, my...this is like deja vu, red ranger. Except this time, you won't be teleported away," Goldar sneered. As his sword was poised to strike, Goldar was suddenly pelted with crimson laser fire, Rito and Scorpina were pelted next, as the crimson rider came screeching to a halt. Tori flipped off first and started fighting her way through the demonized Kelzacks. Hunter joined and they made quick work of them.

"You guys made it!" Dustin cheered, as they helped Jason up.

"Adam...how badly are you hurt?" Tori asked in concern.

"I'll be fine," he assured, as Tanya and Rocky helped him up.

"And the bounty hunter?" Shane asked, as Lothor, his family, and the army of dark ninjas gathered.

"Dead. Nice try Lothor," Hunter stated.

"Yeah, she was good, but no match for our Hurricane power," Tori revealed.

"Hurricane power?" Blake asked, as all their prisons were suddenly glowing in reaction to Hunter and Tori's.

"Hurricane mode," Tori clarified.

"A power up," Cam understood.

"And it's bad ass," Hunter added.

"You may have gotten past the bounty hunter, but you will not get past me this time, now that the dark prism is a part of me!" Lothor growled.

"We need you to seal that opening," Trini said gravely.

"But we need to put as many of these losers back in that hole as we can," Kim added.

"The gama rays are fading. Once they're gone, nothing can close it until Mars is aligned again. That's years from now," Billy informed.

"Then we defeat those we can. Then the rest we'll have to defeat after the gates are closed," Jason said.

"Then let's get as many as we can," Tommy reasoned.

"Let's get busy," Shane said, as the six of them took lead position. Their prisms glowed brightly.

"Ninja Storm!"

"Thunder Storm!"

"Samurai Storm!"

"Hurricane Form!"

Like Hunter and Tori's suits, the others rangers suits did not change much, just a more metallic, armored appearance. New weapons were granted as well.

To Shane, his hawk blaster transformed into the sky crossbow, armed with powerful laser fire and the ability to channel his wind into fierce attacks.

Dustin was now armed with twin seismic axes to create seismic devastation when they made contact with the ground.

Tori once again called her trident that could summon the power of the seas with a simple tap of the hilt, while the forked end would rip through anything in her path.

Blake was granted a deadly two ended Thunder blade. Both ends crackled dangerous with Navy lightning and called to the sky to summon lightning at Blake's command.

Hunter summoned the Thunder hammer again, ready to channel crimson thunder at his call.

And finally, Cam had received a transformation for his Samurai saber. The saber converted into a laser rifle. The Samurai star shooter, which fired star shaped laser blasts.

"Some fancy new weapons and shiny costumes won't be enough this time, rangers," Master Vile stated. Cam aimed and fired three blasts. They hit Master Vile and he flew back into the abyss.

"Well, that proved him wrong," Rocky quipped, as the battle began anew.

* * *

><p>"Weaklings..." Flurious growled, as he devastated the Overdrive rangers.<p>

"Give me the jewels!" he roared, as he swiped at all six of them violently with his sword. Sparks ensued and they lay defeated at his feet. But a blast threw him back.

"Man..still whining about your tiara, Popsicle face?" Zack quipped, as he held the smoking barrel of his axe

"The crown will be mine!" he ranted. It was clear that in his demonic form that he had been driven insane. Xander used his magic to bind him with vines, but Flurious froze them and violently shattered them. Taylor soared toward him, latching onto him and dragging him toward the abyss. He grabbed her legs and she cried out in pain, as he threw her off. Jen pelted him with lasers from her chrono blaster, while Carter powered up his battlizer. Flurious was struck, devastating him. The Overdrives and the rest of the Mystics finished off the rest of the Chillers and Lava Lizards.

"You're up Shane!" Carter called. Shane called on his powers by raising his crossbow to the sky. It glowed with red energy and he fired several blasts. The energy formed into several twisters. They sucked up the defeated minions and Flurious, delivering them back to the abyss.

* * *

><p>"Time to finish what I started, red ranger," Darkonda hissed, as he had Andros on his back, trying to drive his blade through him. Rocky flew through the air with a spiral kick, knocking him away.<p>

"Not today ugly," the blue Zeo ranger spat.

"You'll pay for that, ranger," Darkonda threatened, as he blasted them with energy which they tried to evade. Kim responded by pelting him with arrows, while Tommy went one on one, sword to dagger. He kicked the monster on his back and queued Dustin.

"You're up, dirt boy," Tommy called. Dustin swung his axes and hit the ground. The ground trembled beneath Darkonda and swallowed him up, returning him to the abyss.

* * *

><p>Adam chopped at Bansheera with his zeo hatchets, but the Queen of the demons batted them away like nothing and wrapped her hand around the green zeo ranger's throat. The terrifying woman cackled and her hair, now alive with tentacles, slowly wrapped around Adam's limbs.<p>

"Let's see how hard I have to squeeze to break all your bones," she hissed. But suddenly she cried out in pain, as Tanya's Turbo star charger fried her. Jason chopped through her tentacles and she screeched in pain, as they helped him up.

"Thanks," Adam rasped.

"You'll pay for that, rangers..." she hissed, as her newly grown tentacles shot out toward them. However, Udonna and Vida stepped in, showering her with an icy wind magical combination attack. She screeched angrily and her tentacles multiplied. Ethan stepped in, blocking the ones he could with the Tricera shield.

"Go Blake!" he called. The Navy ranger's Thunder bade gleamed in the moonlight and he disappeared into a navy ninja streak, severing her tentacles with his blade. She cried out in agony, as she was electrocuted and this time, her tentacles didn't grow back.

"Back to hell for you, psycho bitch," he stated, as he raised the Thunder blade, horizontally over his head, charging it with Navy lightning summoned by his prism's mastery of the lighting. Both ends crackled with explosive power and he spun the blade rapidly, as he charged her. He slashed her with both ends and she cried out in agonized disbelief, as she was thrust back into the abyss.

* * *

><p>Master Org batted the other Wild Force rangers away and focused his wrath on Cole, trying to choke the life out of him.<p>

"I wish I would have made sure you were dead too when I killed your parents,!" he hissed, as he threw him down and raised his spear, preparing to gut the red Lion ranger.

"Time to rectify that mistake!" he growled, but was suddenly pelted by solar energy.

"Not today monster," Daggeron said, as he helped Cole up.

"I will kill you all!" Org growled, only to be pelted with more blasts.

"Tell it to someone who cares," Eric spat, as he continued to fire the Quantum defender.

"With my Org seeds, I will once again rule this world," he hissed, as seeds began to fall from his hands.

"Super Silverizer!" Zhane called, as he blasted the seeds to ash before they could hi the ground. White arrows pelted him next, as Trent attacked and Ryan followed up, landing several kicks and punches.

"It's like a sixth ranger party all up in here," Zhane joked.

"That's probably my cue," Cam drawled, as he positioned his weapon.

"Samurai star scatter!" he called, as he shot multiple blasts in rapid succession, purposely missing the Org Master. The psychopath laughed.

"You're the worst shot I've ever seen," he goaded. But Cam ignored him.

"Samurai...falling star attack!" Cam called. His prism glowed and the blasts in the sky descended on the Org Master, sending the exploding and devastated monster plummeting back into the abyss.

* * *

><p>Leo and the other Galaxy rangers fiercely fought Trakeena, but she was relentless and twice as strong. Sparks ensued, as she violently slashed at them with her pincers and their suits became caked in her sickly green ooze.<p>

"Paybacks are a bitch, rangers," she growled. Wes stepped in, blocking her pincers with his chrono saber.

"Guess you're about to find out, slime ball," he retorted. She growled and shoved him away. Alyssa charged and clawed at her, but she was batted away. Chad used his Mega battle armor to fire a concentrated blast of ice at her. It only slowed her down slightly though and she quickly broke free in fury. Bridge fired his blaster and Kira soared through the air, but Trakeena blocked her Ptera grips, sending her head over heels to the ground. Merrick fired his Lunar cue and the animal crystals attacked, as Tori clutched her trident.

"No stupid little girl is going to defeat me!" she raged. Tori tapped the hilt of her trident on the ground and water torrents spiraled up around her.

"No...NO!" Trakeena screamed, as she was drowned out and the water carried her back to the depths of the abyss.

* * *

><p>Z fired her blaster at Mesagog only to be knocked away violently. Joel charged, armed with his V lancer, but Mesagog stopped his weapon, yanking it from his hands and batting him away with his tail. He was then suddenly hit with a pink cloud of power, as Kat landed a direct hit with her zeo power shield. Mesagog growled angrily, as Billy leapt at him with his power lance. It glowed with blue energy and he slashed the monster violently. But the demon dinosaur unleashed his mind meld and the four rangers held their heads in agony. Conner stepped in, firing a tri-beam from the Triassic shield, getting a direct hit. But despite his injury, he employed his mind meld and Conner fell victim to it as well.<p>

"I...can't take much more of this..." Kat cried.

"Hang on Kat..." Billy called through his own agony. Behind the monster, Hunter spun his hammer rapidly building energy. It crackled with crimson thunder, as Hunter tossed it end over end. It hit its target, sending Mesagog barreling into a tree, which was unfortunately completely destroyed in the process. Mesagog dug himself out of the splintered mess and roared in rage. Hunter extended his arm and recalled the thunder hammer. He employed his mind meld beam again, but was blocked by Hunter's thunder shield, which only made him charge in anger. Hunter formed the shield into the tornado star and charged it with crimson thunder, before throwing it. It met its intended mark, slicing Mesagog's tail off, causing him to screech in agony.

"You'll pay for that!" Mesagog roared, as the others held their heads in agony. Hunter wasted no more time. He raised the hammer to the sky, calling his thunder powers forth. His prism glowed and crimson thunder charged the hammer. He hit the ground with it. The electric current traveled toward the monster and struck its target. And the pieces of Mesagog's remains tumbled back into the abyss. The army of rangers stood strong again, as Lothor, his family, most of the dark ninjas, the few foot soldiers, Rito, Goldar, and Scorpina were all that remained.

"The gama rays are fading fast. You two have maybe minutes to close that hole!" Cam warned.

"But Lothor and these posers are still loose," Dustin protested.

"They're too powerful for us to take down in just a few minutes," Adam reasoned.

"If we don't put Lothor back in the abyss, then this doesn't end today," Blake reminded.

"Then it doesn't end today. We'll have to deal with it later. But we'll be screwed if that hole stays open," Shane said.

"Close it!" Jason called. Hunter and Tori stepped toward the swirling gates in the ground that was the abyss.

"Stop them!" Lothor roared. But the others rushed them to give Hunter and Tori the time they needed. They clasped hands and purple energy exploded around them. Their visors opened, silvery blue eyes locking with sapphire blue eyes.

"Guess it's time to see if we can do this," Tori said with a smile. He smiled back.

"We can. Love can overcome anything. You've taught me that," he replied, with love for her shining in his eyes. An amethyst sphere of power formed between them and they guided it to the opening.

"Dammit...stop them!" Lothor growled. But the others didn't allow them to pass. The amethyst fire descended into the ground, closing the gateway and sealing the crevice in the ground up again.

"NOOOOO!" Lothor growled.

"That's the breaks, dude," Dustin goaded.

"Wrong fool! You may have won again today, but trust me, this time you will all suffer for this...starting with you two!" Lothor ranted, pointing at Hunter and Tori, before he and all his minions disappeared.

"You haven't see the last of us either, rangers," Goldar promised, as he, Rito, and Scorpina disappeared as well. The moment the monsters were gone, media choppers were over them.

"Alpha, can you get us all out of here?" Billy asked into his communicator.

"_Sure thing Billy, stand by," _the little robot said. In seconds, they were all on the massive Hartford mansion lawn. They all sighed in relief and canceled their morphs. But there was not celebration from their team or Jason and Tommy's teams. And Hunter and Tori noticed instantly.

"What's going on?" Tori asked.

"Some pretty heavy stuff went down while you two were fighting that bounty hunter," Jason stated.

"Leann?" Tori asked, as she saw her friend's tear stained face.

"I'll let you guys take them down to Ops and explain," Andrew offered, giving them privacy for what he knew would be an emotional time for what they were about to learn.

"Thanks," Cam said, as they went inside. With that, Andrew and Spencer ordered food to feed the hungry and tired brood of rangers...


	9. Pressing On

AN: Thanks for all the great review! Enjoy this chapter.

During Once a Ranger, an evil from the past rises to join Thrax, causing the Sentinel Knight to call upon seven more rangers from the past to join Adam, Tori, Kira, Xander, and Bridge. Can a team of twelve past rangers handle the additional threats and restore power to the morphing grid for Operation Overdrive?

Pairings: Hunter/Tori, Adam/Tanya, Tommy/Kim, Billy/Kat, Jason/Trini Conner/Kira and more.

Butterflies and Hurricanes

A Once a Ranger AU

Part 9

"_Pressing On"_

Jesse swirled the wine in his glass, as he sat at his desk, examining the information in front of him and watching the footage of the battle that had just taken place. None of the news teams had been able to get ground coverage and their aerial shots were blurry at best. But his personal scientist managed to capture it all with his sophisticated equipment from a safe distance. He watched the ninjas in particular with fascination, especially the amethyst power. He glanced down at the photo of his grown son and his friends.

"You've become quite the warrior, son," he stated.

"You look more like your mother than I expected, but that's probably in your favor too," he mused.

"Quality work as usual, Mr. Finn," he complimented his scientist. The small, skinny bespectacled man nodded gratefully.

"Thank you sir. And congratulations on getting your revenge on Omino," Finn said. Zimmerman smirked and sipped at his wine.

"Yes...things are falling into place, though I have to say the level of element mastery these six possess is unprecedented. Even without the prisms, they are the embodiment of their elements in human form. No one in the history of either Academy has ever obtained such skill with their element. Still...I am up for the challenge," Jesse stated, as he drained his glass.

"I was cast out like garbage, while they continue their secret little operation. That may eventually get more difficult," he said.

"Forgive me for saying this sir, but your son doesn't trust you now. Doing what you have planned assures that he will never join you," Finn replied.

"He wouldn't anyway. He was raised to be too damn good and noble. He's powerful, but soft, like his mother was. But he will have others to worry about. Eventually...he may finally see me as an ally and a way to protect the people he loves," Jesse stated.

"Lothor is a loose canon. Shall I keep monitoring his activity?" Finn asked.

"Yes and keep me updated. He may look for other avenues to rebuild his army, but he'll eventually come crawling back to me. That prism will only get him so far, especially against my son and the girl," Zimmerman replied. Finn nodded and quietly left the office, as Jesse continued to look over the information.

"Well Heather, our son has grown up to be exactly what you always hoped and your perfect brother would be happy to know that he'll probably never willingly have anything to do with me. But I won't give up. He'll see that I'm not the real enemy...someday," Jesse said with determination.

* * *

><p>Hunter stared at the screen in disbelief. His head was swimming with questions, but his hurt and anger drowned them out.<p>

"If he killed Sensei...then why hasn't he been arrested!" Hunter exclaimed.

"Believe me, nothing would give us greater pleasure. But if we do, then we have to expose the Academies. You'll have the FBI, CIA, Homeland, and every other government agency crawling all over those woods," Jason stated.

"Not to mention that they'll be angry when it goes public that the government didn't know about any of it. They get pissed when they look bad to the public," Billy added.

"They might even try to detain anyone involved," Rocky mentioned.

"You mean prison?" Dustin asked, horrified. Rocky nodded.

"Technically speaking, the government sees what the Academy does as illegal, simply because they're not involved. The rangers too for that matter. They've mostly left us all though since we've collectively saved the planet thousands of times over," Jason replied.

"But guys like that go free," Blake stated bitterly.

"And our powers would land us in some lab like rats," Shane added.

"It's not fair, we know," Adam added.

"I...he's really my father? Hunter asked.

"No...the man he once was died the moment he succumbed to the temptation of the dark powers," Kanoi said adamantly.

"Yeah, he's no more your father than Lothor is my Uncle," Cam added.

"They're right," Tori whispered, as she hugged him.

"You're mine first anyway. And you're nothing like him, so don't even think it," she said. He nodded gratefully, hugging her tightly. He knew he couldn't get through this without her love and thankfully, he didn't have to.

"So what now?" Blake asked.

"As long as Lothor is out there, you guys are active again. We'll provide back up when we can now that our powers are restored, but it's your powers that will be needed to defeat him," Jason said. Blake clenched his teeth.

"So that's it, Lothor's back, so my career is over," he spat. He was trying not to be angry, but he loved racing professionally.

"Leann could take over for you," Hunter stated, as all eyes were on him. As much as he wanted Blake fighting beside him, he wasn't going to let Lothor ruin everything he had worked for.

"Me?" she asked in disbelief.

"You're a navy thunder ninja and an excellent fighter. If Blake happens to be in town, he can join a few battles, but if hes halfway across the country, you can use the navy prism," Hunter suggested. Cam couldn't disagree.

"You'd make a great ranger," he told her with a smile.

"Not to mention that you've been dealt a personal blow in all this. You want justice for your father, the same as I do," Hunter added.

"I don't know what to say," she said.

"Say yes. This is a fight you deserve to be a part of," Blake stated, as he held the navy prism before her. She stared at it and slowly took it in her hand. It sparked for a moment and then accepted its new bearer.

"Finally, another girl on the team," Tori said, as she hugged her.

"Andrew invited us to stay the night, but I'm kind of anxious to get home," Shane mentioned.

"Us too. We've been off the grid long enough," Billy added.

"Let's go say goodbye to the rookies then. With Thrax and the rest of them gone, except Moltor, I think they can handle things," Jason said. There were handshakes and goodbyes, with promise of a reunion soon, before they all left the Hartford mansion to return to their lives.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Blue Bay Harbor<strong>_

_**Later that evening**_

Tori inhaled the salty sea air, as she and Hunter strolled along the beach, hand in hand.

"It's good to be home," she said.

"It is, though for me, home is wherever you are," Hunter replied. She smiled, as they stopped before the lapping waves. The sun was setting in the background and provided the perfect backdrop, as he leaned in and kissed her passionately.

"It's so beautiful here at sunset. I've always loved it," she mentioned.

"I know and that's why I think we should get married in this spot at sunset," Hunter suggested. She smiled.

"I love it. It's the perfect place for us," she replied, as she kissed him again.

"Come on, let's go home," she said sultrily.

"I like that idea even better," he replied. As they approached Hunter's motorcycle, they found a most unwelcome person waiting for them. Tori gasped and their defenses immediately went up, as they both sunk into fighting stance.

"I mean you no harm," Jesse insisted.

"Right, like we're supposed to believe that," Hunter growled.

"I've wanted to meet you for a very long time, son. You can't imagine what it's like to know you have a son you can't see," Jesse added.

"Why would I want anything to do with you?! You killed my mother! You murdered Sensei Omino!" Hunter cried.

"Hunter...you don't know the whole story!" he pleaded.

"I know enough," he spat in return.

"It's true, your mother and I were arguing that night. She wouldn't listen to me explain my side and she wouldn't let me see you," Jesse tried to explain.

"So you killed her," Hunter hissed.

"No...I was angry and I pushed her, which was wrong. But I didn't know she was going to fall and hit her head. That part was an accident and I tried to save her. But she hit the corner of the dresser just right and died almost instantly. It was an accident," Jesse pleaded.

"Even if that's true, it wouldn't have happened if you hadn't been practicing dark ninja magic!" Hunter growled.

"The dark powers aren't as evil as they'll have you believe," Jesse tried to reason.

"The hole in Sensei Omino's chest says otherwise!" Hunter roared.

"He deserved it! He took you away! He stole my life away! He and the others never wanted me with your mother, but I did love her. Her sainted brother hated my guts from day one, long before I ever touched the darker powers," Jesse growled.

"James and Elizabeth Bradley couldn't have children so when you were born. They pressured Heather fiercely to keep you away from me. We fought about their interference constantly and it tore us apart...literally," he tried to explain and then sighed.

"Look, I don't expect you to understand or even forgive me. I just wanted you to hear my side. I know you aren't ready to have anything to do with me, if you ever will. But...you are my son and my door, so to speak, will be always be open for you," he said, as he spared a glance at Tori.

"Hold onto her. Don't ever let go or let anyone come between you," he said, as he started to retreat, but turned back for a moment.

"One more thing. Lothor will stop at nothing to get revenge on the two of you. Be careful. The longer he refrains from attacking, the larger and more sinister his plot will be," Jesse warned, before getting in his limo.

"Are you okay?" Tori asked. He nodded.

"As long as I don't have to see him," he replied.

"Do you want to go talk to Sensei? He should probably know," she suggested.

"I'll tell him in the morning. Right now, I just want to go home," he said. She hugged him and felt his strong arms tighten around her.

"I just want to go home and hold you," he whispered.

"Lucky me. Let's go, thunder boy," she said, as they put their helmets on and sped away on his bike.

* * *

><p><em><strong>The next morning<strong>_

_**Ninja Ops**_

"So he was right? You can't pick up on the dark prism energy anywhere on Earth?" Shane asked. They had all arrived for their morning duties as usual that morning and Hunter promptly informed Sensei Watanabe about his and Tori's encounter with Zimmerman the night before. This resulted in a ranger meeting, including Billy and Jason on a secure video conference.

"The dark prism gives off a very distinct signature. Lothor knows that with the energy scanner Billy helped me build that we could find his base if he built one on Earth," Cam said.

"So he's got another spaceship then," Dustin guessed.

"Probably, but I used the deep space sonar scanner that I brought back from Aquitar and he's not in the milky way galaxy at all right now," Billy said.

"Well...then he left, right?" Blake asked hopefully.

"It seems so, which eventually could be very bad. He's in possession of a very powerful and dangerous artifact. He's not done," Billy explained.

"But...then why would he leave?" Dustin asked.

"He was defeated and most of his Generals are dead. A bunch of dark ninjas aren't enough to stand against us," Cam reasoned.

"So he's gone to hire a new army?" Leann asked.

"He would if he had money, but more than likely, he's going to find beings that hate rangers as much as he does. I've seen this before on Aquitar. The Hydro contaminators were funded by other factions that hated the Aquitian rangers as much as they did. He could return in the future with some powerful allies," Billy warned.

"Then his warning was justified," Hunter said.

"Maybe, but I'm sure he still has his own agenda in all this," Jason added from behind Billy.

"Jason is right. Be very leery of him. The dark powers are seductive," Kanoi warned.

"I will Sensei," Hunter promised.

"So what now?" Dustin asked.

"We return to our normal lives, but we remain vigilant. We will train our students for the coming and very real threat there will be. We safeguard the prisms and you all must train hard yourselves. Lothor will return and his hunger for vengeance will be ravenous," Kanoi warned. They nodded in understanding, as they ended the communication with Billy and Jason, before they each headed off to teach their classes.

* * *

><p>"Mr Zimmerman...three people are headed for your office! I told them they couldn't go in without an appointment. But they wouldn't listen!" his assistant cried frantically.<p>

"Relax Gloria, it's fine. Feel free to take your lunch," Jesse stated. And Gloria had been working for him long enough to know that it wasn't a request. Two males and one female waltzed into his office. Scorpina's human disguise hadn't changed much, though she was wearing her hair shorter. Goldar had adopted a much younger appearance, medium build and jet black hair. Rito's appearance was that of an attractive male with large muscles, beach blonde hair, and a California tan.

"He definitely looks the part. He'll blend in nicely with all the surfer idiots," Jesse commented, referring to Rito, as he raised Scorpina's hand and kissed it.

"And thankfully you chose some nicer skin. That other guy you used to walk around as was ugly as hell," Jesse remarked to Goldar. It was only to blend in, of course. His true alien form had been restored during his time in the abyss, but he was willing to don human appearance again for revenge.

Jesse remembered his first encounter with the man he knew as Victor Goldman back then. He had been working for the Vasquez family. He had met Palo's father in prison and Orlando Vasquez had taken notice of his strange powers with interest. Together, they plotted and five years after he had been incarcerated, he used his dark powers to start a fire that spread unnaturally fast. They had thought they had stripped him of his powers, but they were unsuccessful. Many lives were lost that night and Garrick Wells had been included in those casualty numbers. But it had never actually been confirmed. They might not have been so lucky, but the investigation was put on hold, because as fate would have it, the year was 1993 and Rita Repulsa attacked the Earth just days after the fire. Things had never been the same since. Life outside Earth had been confirmed and her initial attacks had actually been quite devastating. Most government agencies had all employees and agents working on all aspects of the first few attacks. Once the power rangers started getting a true handle on things, the death toll of each attack became less and less. By then, the investigators still had more pressing matters. No one cared about identifying the bodies of hardened criminals or murderers. No one missed them and all unaccounted for were declared dead. That allowed him a clean slate and for years, he worked for the drug ring, using his skills and powers to get his boss what he wanted. He eventually eliminated Palo's father and took over, grooming Palo to work for him and run the Mexico operation. When he met Victor Goldman, he had been skeptical of his story at first. But in exchange for his financial support, Goldman had forced Finn to work for him. The once alien scientist was now an equally as timid human. But he had been responsible for many of Rita Repulsa's monsters, so Jesse put his skills to use and Gridiron Industries and all its innovations was born, skyrocketing him to the life of a billionaire.

"Welcome back...how was hell?" Jesse quipped.

"About like you'd imagine. I'm sure you'll find out someday, but at least we got our true forms and managed to absorb some power from that evil pit in the process," Goldar responded.

"Like it matters. Those bastard rangers are more powerful than ever," Scorpina growled.

"Yeah, tell me why we're staying on this mud ball? You know we could easily overthrow whatever crime family has taken up residence on M51 and rule," Rito reminded them. But he was ignored.

"Maybe, but a unique opportunity has presented itself," Jesse stated, as he tossed a folder of information on his desk in front of them.

"You can't be serious," Goldar refuted.

"So S.P.D. has finally made its way here," Rito said.

"With your fighting skills, getting accepted the Academy shouldn't be a problem," Jesse stated.

"This could work," Scorpina said.

"It might be years before any plot can come to fruition!" Goldar exclaimed.

"Maybe, but if you face them now, it's a one way ticket back to the abyss of evil," Jesse reminded.

"Commander Birdie Fowler has a lot of skeletons in his closet. Get accepted and I'll make a call telling him that you three are to climb the ranks quite swiftly," Jesse suggested.

"You're already blackmailing him," Goldar said knowingly. Jesse smirked.

"He got his entire team killed due to his own arrogance when he was a field agent and covered it up, among many other blunders. S.P.D. Earth also needs my funding. He has his job because of me, so he will do our bidding," Jesse replied.

"Fine, but if I have to put on spandex, I quit," Goldar spat. Jesse chuckled.

"The morphing grid would out you for what you really are. No, your positions will be within S.P.D. command rather and not the field. Your skills will be undeniably useful in training future ranger wannabes," Jesse stated.

"And corrupting as many as we can along the way," Rito said with a smirk.

"What do you have on Birdie?" Goldar asked. Jesse smirked.

"A great many things," Jesse replied cryptically.

"Well, I guess we're off to...New Tech City?" Rito asked.

"It's not far from Briarwood. It's the only place alien immigrants are allowed to settle right now and the future home of S.P.D. headquarters," Jesse replied.

* * *

><p><em><strong>Planet Drakon<strong>_

That's impossible!" the blue skinned alien roared. He belonged to the same race as Velek and was in fact her father and King of the Planet Drakon. They were a race of warriors and many often became mercenaries. They also enjoyed the sport of BakTak, which in their native language literally meant the hunt. And their prey was any worthy being they found on other worlds. Strong, skilled individuals were put into an arena each year and challenged to survive a hunt by five of their chosen warriors that managed to beat out all the other candidates. Not only did the "contestants" have to survive against their hunters, but each other as well. Food and water were limited and weapons reduced only to survival items. Needless to say, no one had ever survived. It was not just a sport on their planet. It was a way of life and consumed every native being on the planet during the five day competition. The player with the most kills out of the twenty-five beings in the arena was the winner and was rewarded with immediate wealth and status. It was barbaric, but once they had their captives on their own planet, there was little anyone could do. They were not a world open to visitors and inclined to shoot infiltrators on site.

The King's two tentacles twitched angrily and one wrapped around the poor olive skinned servant, snapping his neck, even though he had only been the messenger.

"There is no way my daughter could have been killed by two rangers...Earthlings no less!" he roared.

"I wish it was not so, Your Highness, but my sources say this pair is unusually powerful, particularly together," an opal skinned male stated, a top adviser to the King.

"I want to know everything about them, Siphon. We must make them pay for Velek's death," he growled.

"Of course my King. I will begin my travels immediately," Siphon replied.

"No one crosses the Drakonians," the King hissed.

* * *

><p>The ground of the old Thunder Ninja Academy was peppered with Japanese cherry blossom petals and the mood was somber. All Senseis, including the rangers, were dressed in their long, formal dark robes, the piping of their elemental study being the only color. Eight Thunder ninja students carried the casket to the burial site nearby, where many ninjas that had passed before rested. Cam held Leann and tears slipped down her cheeks, the casket was lowered into the ground.<p>

"Goodbye Daddy," she sniffed. Blake and Hunter both cried freely, as they said goodbye to the man that had taken them in like his own and changed their lives forever.

"Goodbye Sensei. You took us in when we were lost and scared," Blake whispered.

"I will make him pay for this, Sensei. Thank you for everything you did for me and Blake," Hunter added, as Tori hugged him close and cried with him. They each tossed cherry blossom petals on the casket, before quietly trekking back to the Academy. The future was uncertain, but they had vowed they would endure whatever came together...

_That's the end of this story, but obviously not the end of this series. Look for the next story in this series, coming soon!_


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